Age of Crystals
by UK-Underworld King
Summary: Lloyd and Sheena are on the journey to collect the expheres, giving the tiny stones to Yuan keep save. But once the cristals got stolen Lloyd and his friends find themselves involved in a plot of a new organization commanded by a powerful foe. Shelloyd!
1. The New Journey

Hi people!

I'm quite new by here, but here's my fic. To be honest this is the first fanfic I write in english so don't mind if it content some mistakes of grammar or spelling.

I'll update it from week by week, sometimes I can also update two chapters by week, depending of how inspirated I am. Anyway, the story is a Shelloyd fic (my fav pairing) and it'll pass one year after the game, without spoilers or references to the sequel.

So without more delay here's it!

* * *

_Tales of Symphonia:_

_Age __of the Crystals_

**Chapter 1**

**The New Journey**

The clouds are covering the moon in that night. None creature, beside nocturne predators, would adventure outside their nests in that night. The forest was quietly in the shadows, but one place in that scenery doesn't bring the same quietude.

In the entrance of the forest there was a huge mansion, with a great garden, guarded by many soldiers. Anyone who pass by that local could think that a very important and powerful person live there, but this is just half of true. The most important thing in that mansion is not his owner, but the object which he guarded.

Not only the gardens were watched, the mansion's galleries have a high security too, with guards patrolling and some robots disguised like ordinary objects, but that night nor guards or security machines will stop the two who entered in that mansion and now past by the corridors, while hide back of armors and plants vases.

After much search, the two shadows had encounter the room that were looking for, just two guards and a strange looking statue above the door separate them form the target. The taller figure whisper a chant and the guards hear that, but when they tried to go check the entire corridor got darker and they only fell something hitting them in the back of head before get unconscious.

The other figure drawled a sword and destroyed the statue, that doesn't detected anything because the magical darkness. When the darkness went out, the second invader came to the door and opened it.

They entered in a luxurious room with valuable portraits and statues, there was a comfortable bed near great windows with sight to the gardens. The invader with the sword look around admired with all the expensive decoration, but the other just went to a portrait in a wall. He took off the portrait, revealing a small vault with a number pad and an impression identificator, the taller figures then look to that for some minutes. They have the password, but what they will do about the identificator, then an idea occurred.

"Do you know how to open it?", ask the invader shatting his sword, while approach of the other.

"Yeah!", answer the other while take a piece of paper with the password that they just received from the ones who were investigating that mansion for days.

After enter the password, the taller invader took another piece of paper, but that is different, it has a symbol marked in there that the other cannot understand. Placing the seal over the impression identificator the other invader recites a spell that makes the paper shines weakly. Then the invader places his gloved hand at the seal. The impression identificator analyses and seems to approve.

The vault's door opened, but at that moment the light was on.

"Well, well. I hear that some rats could come to take my cheese…", a noble looking man was stand in other door that gave access to another corridor. He has a mustache, wears a red robe and had an arrogant expression on his face. His age could be between forty and fifty by his white hairs. "But I never thought that will be you two… Lloyd Irving and Sheena Fujibayshi!"

Lloyd and Sheena took out their masks, with a funny expression in their faces.

"What did denounce us?", ask Lloyd in his lively voice and seeing to be calm.

"That doesn't matter! The guards are coming and you will regret to get your noses in my business!"

"Geez! I lost the count of the times we heard this!", said Sheena, like they are in a ordinary conversation. "But I'm not surprise that someone like you get involved in the sales of the expheres, Cromwell!"

Footsteps can be heard from distance, indicating that the guards were coming. Lloyd and Sheena realize that it's the time to they get out of that mansion.

"Well, we enjoyed your company, but we have to take our way."

With this Sheena throws a smoke bomb. When the smoke downs they weren't there. Looking behind Cromwell saw them running to the stairs and ordered the guards to follow them.

After to ascend the stairs, Lloyd and Sheena had reached the roof. Lloyd took the Wing Pack and made the Rheairds appear by the time the guards arrive. He and Sheena Jump in their Rheairds and take off, leaving the guards and an angry Cromwell behind while them gained the night skies.

Lloyd looked to the Exphere they take, it shined like the other ones they collected by all that moths, or it was one year? He can't remember more. The only thing he can remember is all the criminal and bandits that he and Sheena defeat in order to retrieve that stones and prevent that were used to make more bad or victims.

"Something wrong Lloyd?", ask Sheena, seeing how Lloyd was quiet since they left Cromwell's mansion.

"Ah! Nothing, I'm just thinking…"

"Lets just take this to Yuan and quit for this night, I need some rest and you too."

Nodding with the female ninja, Lloyd guarded the exphere and continued their way to the Renegades…

- - - - -

In the mansion, Cromwell was in the lobby while waited for news of the parties he sent to search for Lloyd and Sheena. The two had gotten that exphere just now he had found someone interested in it. Some guards back, but when Cromwell asked for the two they said to found none signal.

"Perfect! Really perfect!! They got my exphere and simply escape! What are you? A bunch of morons or…"

"Did I hear wrong?", a strange voice echoed by the lobby. Cromwell turns round and saw the "client" that he had encountered that night to talk about the exphere. "Did you lost the exphere?"

"What are you doing in my house? And if so do I lost the exphere? I'm not with patience to talk about this, get out of here, now!" demands Cromwell, the last thing he needed is someone to remember him about the humiliation he just passed.

The stranger only similes and give a giggle, a strange giggle that gives chills on Cromwell. That person's presence was starting to irritate Cromwell, so he ordered to the guards expulse him, but the guards didn't move from their places, they only look from Cromwell to the stranger. The noble starts to labour cold.

"Cromwell, Cromwell… it seems you didn't notice with who you are dealing!"

- - - - -

Lloyd and Sheena landed their Rheairds near Sylvarant's Base, after size the planes in the Wing Pack they entered in the base and go right to Yuan's office.

The Renegade leader was working in his computer and doesn't seem to notice the arrival of the couple.

"Hi Yuan!", started Lloyd, Yuan stopped what he was doing and look to them with a serious glance so characteristic of him. "Well… we bring one to you today.", Lloyd put the exphere on the table and for the first time Yuan seem intrigated and interested, he took the exphere and analyzed it.

"It's a Cruxis Crystal!", concluded him. "From whom do you take this?"

"Cromwell. So it's because this that mansion had so much security.", commented Sheena.

Yuan doesn't respond to her commentary, he pressed a button in a communicator in his desk and said:

"Denvir! Come here now!", after release the button, Yuan turns to his guests. "About the security in the mansion, I doubt that Cromwell could tell the difference between a Cruxis Crystal and a normal exphere, if he can he wouldn't hid it in such obvious place."

At the end of Yuan's phrase, a black-haired half-elf wearing a red upper armor, black gloves and white clothes, entered in the office. After saw who are the visitors he greeted them:

"Hello Mr. Lloyd and lady Sheena."

"Hi Denvir! Are we just tell to you don't need to call us like that?" said Lloyd, a bit of embarrass.

Denvir was the second-in-command of Renegades since the end of the journey to reunite the worlds. Like Botta, he had a great admiration for Yuan, only compared to his loyalty for the Renegade leader. Lloyd and Sheena didn't know much about his past, they only knew how friendly he was with them.

Yuan handed over the Cruxis Crystal to Denvir, the commandant gives a surprise glance with his dark blue eyes on the crystal, but don't make any question about how they took that.

"Put this in the, vault along with the other expheres." order Yuan.

"Yes sir!" Denvir left the office while Yuan back to sit in his chair.

"I think you don't have anything more to do here, then I request that you leave."

"Ok, it seems we aren't welcome like always. Let's go Lloyd!" said Sheena retributing Yuan's serious look. They has used to Yuan's behave after some months handing the collected expheres to him. Sheena always said that he could at least give a "thanks" to them, but Lloyd doesn't care much, maybe because Yuan was the last Kratos's best friend.

The two leave the office while Denvir came back. They only gave farewell to Denvir before went to the exit of the base.

"You don't think that was a good opportunity to tell to them ab…" before Denvir could conclude the phrase Yuan interrupted.

"They don't need to know now!" said Yuan in an authoritarian voice, indicating that he didn't want to be questioned.

"Ok, but you know, sometimes you could at least thank them…"

- - - - -

Great smoke clouds rise in the nocturne skies, while flames could be see from the forest. Cromwell's mansion burned and it owner can't do anything but watch while the fire consume all the building.

The "client" was in front of Cromwell while the soldiers held him, not to protect the noble, but for the stranger's order. After have certain that nothing would rest the strange that Cromwell met that night talked:

"Now you know who I am and that nobody fail with me! But don't worry Mr. Cromwell, I couldn't just leave you live in the misery, mainly after you see my face. So I will spare your suffer and give to you the eternal rest…"

After hear that lasts words, all that Cromwell saw and felt, was the darkness, sucking his life…


	2. Invite

Thanks for the comment people and to all those who ask I'm from Brasil, but I happen to have a deep knowledge of english.

Here the story starts to got interesting, so let's begin!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Invite**

The sun bright strongly in Triet, while the sand was carried by the winds. Lloyd and Sheena exited from the Inn after a good night of sleep. They couldn't remember the last time they sleep so well, lately they had time only to quick naps.

"So, what will we do now? I don't think another exphere will appear so early.", Sheena asked, while they walk in the plaza.

"I would like to visit dad. The last time we were in Iselia I talked with him and he says he would move."

"Move? To where?"

"I think him talked about the mountains or something."

Sheena remembered that besides all, Dirk still being a dwarf, then the only place he could move was to the mountains or to the ancient underground home of all the dwarfs, Moria, so she agreed to visit Dirk.

After took out and boarded on the Rheairds, Sheena and Lloyd went to the direction of Iselia.

In the Oracle's Village of Iselia, Colette Brunel was walking around the village looking to all the people making their daily works. The village was so peaceful in that days and most of his dwellers had forgotten that one day Colette was the Chosen of Regeneration, which will be sacrificed for all Sylvarant.

Colette's father, Frank, and many other villagers were working in the reform of the temple.

After all the true about Martel came to public they thought that weren't a good thing maintain a temple that was like a memory from that age of lies and suffering, but Colette's family says that demolish Martel Temple wasn't the right thing to do, even because Martel was a great person and died to protect all the world, besides wasn't a goddess. Then Colette remembered that Verius, the Summon Spirit of the Heart, still live in that temple.

"Why don't we reform the temple in honor of Verius? I think him would be happy.", the Chosen suggest.

Then reforms began and now it was almost complete. When Sheena and Lloyd came to the village Colette tell to them about the reform, they also thought that was a good idea, but when they offered themselves to help with the work Colette said that them had many things to worry about, like the exphere journey and she didn't want them worry with more that.

Now Colette missed them, even thought that was the right thing to do, Colette felt to not see any of her friends by all this time.

While she was thinking about this, Phaidra called her:

"Colette!"

"Oh, hi grandpa!", Colette said putting a smile in her face to doesn't appear she was worried about something.

"Frank told to me the temple is almost complete, tonight will be a party to celebrate the reform and we would like to you go too."

"Of course I will go!"

It was rare to the village's people makes a celebration. The last one was when Colette completed sixteen, the age they said to the Chosen One receive the oracle. If only Lloyd and the others know…

"Colette, is there something wrong?", asked Phaidra. Colette then notice that she was looking to the ground.

"It's… it's nothing. There's nothing wrong! Hehe."

"If there's anything wrong you can tell to me. Perhaps I can do something for you."

"Thanks, but… everything is fine… really."

Phaidra then left, leaving Colette with her thoughts…

- - - - -

Lloyd and Sheena arrived at Dirk's house. How always, Lloyd went to his mother gravestone and said:

"Mom, I'm home!"

He and Sheena entered in the house. Dirk was working in some metal ornaments, when he swathe two.

"Lloyd! Good to see you!", Dirk left his work and hugged Lloyd. Sheena sitted in a chair while looked to the two. "Did you receive my letter?"

"Yeah! So are you really planning to move?"

"Yes, yes! I spend more time than I thought in the surface, but don't misunderstand. It was an honor to me raises you, but I have to go back to the mountains! I came here to learn about the humans and prove to the others that humans and dwarfs can live in harmony."

"When do you said "the others" you mean the other dwarfs?" Lloyd asked, he never heard Dirk talk about other dwarfs and Lloyd never stop to think that could exist others like his dad in Sylvarant.

Dirk nodded and said to Lloyd sit. Lloyd's adoptive father started to tell him about the other dwarfs and like they all thought that the humans were bad and unkind creatures. Dirk never understood why they all said this, and swear that humans weren't that bad. He said he would prove that by living among them.

"Then you came to here, and started to work like a craftsman?", ask Sheena.

"Yes, I thought the village where the Chosen One resided was a good place to begin. Well, the things weren't so easy in the beginning, but I see how the humans could be kind and when I thought about return to the underground I found you…", Dirk glanced over Lloyd. "The rest of the history you know!"

"Where are the other dwarfs? I always think that they only live in Moria, in Tethe'alla.", Sheena asked.

"We have many homes in Sylvarant, I came from one near Hima. But I cannot tell to you more than this, sorry!"

"We understand!", Lloyd said. Dirk seems to smile while he asked if Lloyd could help him with some of the other ornaments he was making.

Sheena approached and took a good look in what Dirk had made. The room was almost fill with Dirk's works, it seems he was very busy by all that time. Many pieces with different colors and forms are around, but one of them attracted Sheena's attention: silver statues of a great fox that looks like much with…

"Say Dirk, to who are you making these statues?", the female ninja asked.

"It's for Frank. You know, he and the other Iselia's villagers are reforming Martel Temple, or rather Verius Temple! It even will be a party tonight to celebrate the reform!", Dirk talked. Sheena and Lloyd immediately look to the dwarf in an interrogative way. "Didn't you know that?"

"No! We were so busy with the exphere journey that we don't hear any notice about the reform.", Sheena said.

"Well, if that the case, why don't you two appear in the party? I think the Chos… Colette would be happy!"

Nodding with the craftsman, Lloyd and Sheena decided they will go to look how the temple was and pay a visit to Colette…

- - - - -

All Iselia villagers were near the entrance of Martel Temple, now renamed to Verius Temple. Tables and chairs were place by everywhere, some farmers brought the food and the people talked about how was the work to reform the temple. Some people also told histories about how they encounter and talk with the Summon Spirit of the Heart, but many histories were just invention.

Colette was sit alone in a table, near temple's doors. Frank and Phaidra were greeting and talking with the guests. The Chosen didn't seem to enjoy the party and when some guests ask if it was something wrong, Colette said:

"No! Everything is fine, really!"

When she was to answer this to the owner of Iselia's shop, she heard familiar voices, voices that she didn't think to hear that night.

Looking to the stairs that gave access to the temple Colette saw Lloyd, Sheena and Dirk being greeting by Phaidra and Frank, who also appeared to be surprise with the unexpected guests.

With a great smile in her face, Colette run to where Lloyd and Sheena were and before the two could notice the angel friend, she hugged them.

"Lloyd! Sheena! How great to see you two! How are you?"

"Hi Colette!", the two said while Colette let them go.

"Did you hear about the party?"

"Yeah and we are thinking: how do they dare to hold a party without your presence?" Sheena said with a lively voice. Colette and Lloyd laugh.

The tree friends then sat and talked by many hours about their adventures, the troubles to get the expheres and the way that Sheena didn't stand with Yuan's behavior. Colette didn't have so many adventures like the couple, but she told about how the reforms in the temple was making progress and the great help which Dirk gave with the forge of new ornaments and the redecoration.

Frank and Phaidra observed from their table how Colette regained the humor with the arrival of her two friends.

When the party seemed to be near the end, a stranger person arrived and annunciated:

"I'm searching for Lloyd Irving and Sheena Fujibayshi! Are they among you?"

Everybody look to the person who look like to be a messenger. Lloyd stood and said:

"Give me your name and I shall give you mine!", many people around seemed to choke a laugh.

"Yeah, they said you will say something like this...", the messenger approaches to where Colette, Lloyd and Sheena were. "I was sent by his majesty, the King of Tethe'alla, to deliver to you these invites for Princess Hilda's birthday party, which will happen in five days! My king counts with your presence there!"

With a reverence the messenger left while Lloyd and Sheena look to their invites. Colette looked confuse.

"Hey! He doesn't give me one! I wonder if he loses it in the way!"

"No, I think it's because the King doesn't want more holes in the party hall.", Lloyd said almost in a whisper.

The swordsman remembered when Colette, her family, he, the rest of the group and Sylvarant cities' mayors were invite to a dinner with the King, who wanted to discuss some subjects about the relation of the two countries. They went to Meltokio's party hall and Colette, accidentally, tripped when she was going to the bathroom, making a hole in the wall. The King doesn't say anything about that, but he had to pay the damage.

"Well, I will have to go. Like the next chief of Mizuho I have to go in this type of events of the royal family, but I don't want to go alone. Can you go with me Lloyd?"

"Of course, Sheena! Friends are to this!" said Lloyd with a smile.

"Yeah… friends…", Sheena whispered, waiting that Lloyd and Colette didn't hear that. Mainly Colette…

- - - - -

Sylvarant Base's alarm could be heard, even outside the base. Inside, renegades ran by everywhere, looking for the one who just had steal them. Some renegades located him in the Rheairds hangar and now were trying to open the door, but the invader locked it.

While a crowd of renegades try to open the door, the invader attached in a Rheaird a heavy load and even used magic to have certain that it wouldn't fall.

When the door was finally forced, the invader already boarded and now was departing. The renegades couldn't do anything, but watch while the spy depart whit that he was search in that base.

Flying by the skies in great speed, he went to the local he was instruct by his master. There he encountered his companion, waiting in the cliff.

After landed the Rheaird the other approaches. This was the stranger person that somebody would wait to encounter in all his live. The one who was waiting the invader of the Renegades was a green, menacing-look lizardman.

"Then, did you bring the expheres?" ask the lizardman, with a voice grave voice that looks like with a roar.

"They're all here. I must say that wasn't easy to retrieve it from the Renegades…"

"I'm not interested on your problems, just handed them over!"

"It was exactly what I would say!", another person said, one that two wasn't waiting to appear, the Renegade's leader, Yuan. "I suspected that was a spy infiltrated in the Renegades, but I never expected you were together with this freak, talking reptile!"

The lizardman looked to get annoyed. He stretched his arm and the scales on it begin to group until form a sword. Taking the sword the lizardman shouted:

"What did you call me, your nasty half-elf?!"

Yuan drew your double-edge sword and prepare for the lizardman's attack.

After defended from some attacks, Yuan jumped back and started to charge a spell. The lizardman tried to stop him, but Yuan was quicker.

"Thunder Blade!", a great magical blade fell and hit the lizardman, afterwards electrocuting him.

When his opponent fell in the ground, Yuan turns back to the spy. Showing his wings and flying towards the traitor, Yuan was half way when someone pronounced a spell:

"Shadow Ball!", Yuan looked to his right and saw a darkness sphere coming towards him.

When the sphere hit Yuan, it expanded and covered all his body. The seraph couldn't see anything. All he felt was his mana being drained and the sensation from fallen into a cliff.

In the top of the cliff, the one who was spying the Renegades watch Yuan falling into the river on the bottom of the cliff. Another person then approaches and also looked to the river, none signal of Yuan can be see.

"Take Scarv and the expheres and lets get out of here. It won't take too long until they came to look for him.", said the one who cast the spell. The other nodded and hurry to where the lizardman and the expheres lay.

While looked to the river the stranger smiled...


	3. Someone who Annoy me Deeply

Thanks fo the comment people!

Now to Li-chan0767 and Sychotic and all those who think it, no I didn't take the name "Shadow Ball" for that darkness magic based on Pokemon or anyhting of short. In fact I didn't even like Pokemon. I just came up with that name becuse thought it sounds good to that magic and the effect it has.

Now this chapter was ready by some time so I'll post now. Enjoy the reading!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Someone who Annoy me Deeply**

After one day of travel, Lloyd and Sheena arrived at Meltokio. The Imperial City didn't change much, besides now there were more tourists coming from Sylvarant. Now even half-elves walked in the streets without worry.

Lloyd and Sheena walked in the square going to the castle. The invites said the King was prepared all for their stay. While they walk, Sheena looked to the right and hurried her step. Lloyd didn't understand why she sudden did that and almost stayed behind.

When they almost were in the stairs to the noble quarters, a familiar voice was heard:

"Now, now! What a rare sight!"

Lloyd and Sheena turned back to see that Zelos was coming.

"Damn!", Sheena whispered before put a smile in her face. "Hello Chosen One!"

"Yo! Lloyd, Sheena. How are you two? I heard much things about you!", Tethe'alla's chosen said.

"I was having a good day, but now here I am, speaking with you!"

"Sharp as ever, uh?! My voluptuous hunny.", Zelos said with his so characteristic smile.

Sheena always tried to avoid from Meltokio and the surround areas whenever she could. Lloyd knew that she didn't want to meet Zelos and when he said this suspect she invented some other reason like there wasn't any expheres around that region or didn't want to meet the ones from whom they steal the expheres.

The last time they visit the city Sheena went to the fields saying that she wanted to train some new techniques and came back only at the night.

"So, is it true that Sheena served as a bait when you tried to retrieve some exphere from a bandit's group near Sybak?", the chosen ask, with a shine in the eyes that Sheena knew much well.

"Yeah, it's true! She acted like she was lost, they were so distracted with her that they don't notice when I took the expheres.", Lloyd said proudly, while Sheena hid her face in the hands. "But, what did happen while I was doing that, Sheena? I saw you beating up them all!"

Sheena blushed while try to form words. Zelos then said loudly:

"Oh please! I can't believe that you don't know what happened when a guy see a beautiful helpless lady!", Zelos said so loud that some peoples around looked to them.

"He knows, but he's not so pervert to take advantage from helpless women." Sheena said as loudly as Zelos, like if she wanted that everybody knew of what he was capable.

Lloyd looked to everyone who was seeing and waved, with an embarrass smile.

"Helpless?! Haha that was a good one Sheena! I just think if those bandits would say this!"

By Sheena's face, Lloyd could say that if he hadn't hold her, the Chosen's life would have meet its end at that moment. When Sheena seemed to calm down she just said:

"Let us leave Lloyd! We have more to do than stay here seeing this pervert's face!", Sheena turned to the stairs without say another word. Lloyd followed her after said a "bye" to Zelos, who just stayed at his place, while watched they climbing the stairs.

When they are almost at the castle Sheena said:

"Incredible! All this time and he stills the same idiot has ever!"

Lloyd just nodded while wait Sheena calm down. Last time he tried to say that Zelos didn't have the intention to taunt her, she also got annoy with him, implying that he was defending Zelos and even shouted:

"YOU MEN ARE ALL THE SAME!!"

When the two entered in the castle, the King stood and greeted them:

"Lloyd, Sheena! You've come!"

"Yes your majesty. We received the invites and her we are!", Lloyd said, while he and Sheena leaned their heads.

"Then we shall show your rooms!", Princess Hilda said. She called a maid and ordered to show their rooms.

The maid asked to them follows her and led them by some corridors until they reach two doors, one in front of another.

"These are your rooms. Only King's special guests have these rooms, so please enjoy yourself.", with a reverence, the maid left.

Lloyd opened the door and found himself in a luxurious room, with portraits of beautiful sceneries, a closet and a comfortable bed with newly washed sheets. The swordsman threw himself to the bed and enjoyed the bounces it produces.

Sheena entered and looked to the room, surprised as well.

"It's almost like mine!", the female ninja said.

"Yeah! And the bed is great! Come, try it!"

"I think its better not.", Sheena said, looking embarrassed.

"Oh, come on! It's fun!", Lloyd said with a smile.

After some hesitation, Sheena decided to try and said to Lloyd move. When she hit the bed it bounced again, almost throwing out Lloyd.

"Hey, it's fun!", Sheena said.

"See? I told you! Hey let's test yours!" Lloyd ran to Sheena's room, while she just sat and watch the happiness of her partner.

She never stopped to enjoy the simple things of life. It was always training and expectative; hoping to not commit another mistake that would cost someone's live, always waiting the reprobation look of someone. But with Lloyd she didn't have that worries, with him she felt more confident, more capable and because of that, she could just sit and have fun...

- - - - -

In a small beach of an island, seagulls fly around a body lying in the coast. However the body of a blue-haired half-elf stilled to move.

Crawling in the sand, with a blurred vision, Yuan tried to stand, without success. But he had to admit that was much luck that he could arrive in that island. If he wasn't a Seraph and didn't have a strong magic resistance, all his mana would be drained by that strange spell.

He never saw and felt a spell like that and he didn't know anyone who could cast that, but he didn't have time to make these questions, first he had to contact the Renegades to ask for a rescue party and then think in a way to recover all the expheres that were stolen. But he was weak and tired.

Then Yuan saw a strange figure in his front, by the outlines it was a woman, but who exactly was he couldn't say. Before the Renegades leader could say something he felt all his forces disappear and fainted in the sand...

- - - - -

Two days had pass and Meltokio's castle was full of many important and rich people as the city's inn. Meltokio's party hall was being decorated for the birthday party, under the King's supervision.

Sheena entered in the hall, she decided to see how the preparations were. All the curtains were changed by blue ones, the big rectangular tables were substituted by many small round covered table and flower vases were on each one. There was a bigger one in the deep of the hall, and the center was empty.

The King was in the center talking with many of the decorators. When they went the King notice Sheena.

"Hello! What brings you here?", ask Tethe'alla's ruler.

"I was thinking to see how the preparations for the party were. It seems everything is working right!"

"Yes. By the way, I had to ask to you about your pair..."

"Pa-pair?!", Sheena thought she heard wrong, but the King nodded. She never thought this would be a couple party.

"After the cake there will be a dancing season! My daughter's idea! She said this is the last fashion or something like this."

Sheena didn't remember of read in the invites that would by a dancing season, either that it was a couple party. Before she could think in something, Lloyd's voice was heard:

"Wow! So these are the decorations for the party?!", Lloyd asked while he was looking the hall.

With an excuse of check something, Sheena called Lloyd and told to him about what the King just said.

"Hum... I never heard about this type of party. How is it?"

"Well... let's just said that... a man invite a woman and... they go together to the party...", Sheena got more blushed in each word. "But the point is: We need partners to go to this party! You don't too need much, because you're a man, but for me it would be shameful to appear alone!"

"Then let us go together!", Lloyd said with a simple smile, like the solution was obvious.

"Wha... what?!", Sheena's face now was as red as Efreet. The King approached, asking if all was right and asked again about the pairs.

When Lloyd said that he would be Sheena's pair, the ninja almost lost the equilibrium. Could Lloyd think that it was so simple invite someone to go to a party like that. The last couple party she went it was almost a total disaster.

"Hey, what's up Sheena? Your face is totally red!", the swordsman's question makes Sheena remember that she still in the middle of a hall being looked by the King of Tethe'alla and the Eternal Swordsman.

"I'm... alright... it's just... phew it's hot here! I'll go outside to take a breath!", the female ninja quickly leave the building, under the confused glance of Lloyd.

"I don't feel heat anyway!", the swordsman commented.

Outside, Sheena breathed deeply, she didn't know why she felt that way in front of Lloyd and the King. Was it something about Lloyd's invite? The thought of be invited to go to a party with Lloyd finally began to be process in her mind. Sheena smiled, she didn't know why but she smile, it was some of strange. She traveled all that time with him, but only she was feeling that.

_It's because he invited me. He wants to go with me!_

Sheena smiled again with that thought, but then another think occurred to her. Maybe it wasn't this. Maybe it was just because she was the first person without pair that he encountered and then he decided to invite her, like someone takes the first good looking fruit in a market. Sheena's mind fulled with questions.

It was when the female ninja shake the head to get rid of those pointless ideas and decided:

_It won't help I just being here imagining things! If there is a way to discover this, it's going to this party with him and see by myself..._


	4. It's Party Time!

Here people, the chapter of the party.

We will have a bit of Shelloyd scene here and the appearance of a new OC important to the story. To speak the truth most of the OCs that appear are important in a way or another. So guard their names.

Without any further delay, let's go!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**It's Party Time!**

The day of Princess Hilda's birthday party arrived. All the nobles who came to give prestige to the event were going to Meltokio's party hall.

In the noble quarters, Zelos was preparing himself to the party, wearing his black gala outfits.

"Oh yeah! Call the cops, 'cause I'm wear to kill!", Zelos was talking and pointing to himself in the front of mirror. While he adjusted the collar, Sebastian arrived with the mail.

The butler just observed his master looking and praising himself in the mirror and shook the head while laugh softly. Checking the letters he found something that looked interesting.

"Master Zelos, there's a letter of your..."

"Not now, Sebastian! Whatever it is, it can wait! Now I have a party to go!", before the butler could say something Zelos went to the door and opened it.

"But, master... it's from s...", before Sebastian could said one more word Zelos left, leaving the butler alone in the living room.

- - - - -

"Sheena... we're late!", Lloyd said in the door of Sheena's room.

"Just a minute... it's just I put the shoes and... done!"

Lloyd was already putting his hand at the knob when the door opened and Lloyd's chin almost fell.

Sheena was wearing a blue-sapphire dress with purple details that resembles branches in the sides and pink gloves with embroidered blossoms. Her hair was attached on the top in a well made coke. She had passed a pink lipstick and a yellow blush in the eyes which confuse almost perfectly with her skin. In the waist, her obi was tied in a way that it seems like a part of the dress.

"Well... how am I?", Sheena asked, with an embarrassing look.

"You're pretty Sheena!", Lloyd said, he never thought that his friend would be so good in a dress.

"At least, I think it's better than that red clothes!", the female ninja said, while looked to herself.

"That ones you hate? But you know that you looked great on them!", Lloyd said with a playful smile and laugh.

The swordsman remember that, after the celebration party for Princess Hilda's rescue, Sheena threw that clothes back to the box and swears that she never will use that "Zelos' groupie costume" again. Lloyd laughed of that until she threatened to make him wear that and go out by the streets.

"And how am I?", Lloyd asked, he was wearing his white gala outfit. The maids said that combine well with him and considering he was the Hero of the Two Worlds everything will befitting on him.

"You seem nice too! Well, let's going..."

- - - - -

Meltokio's Party Hall was a great building that only the richest people could rent to special commemorations. In the last months it was reformed, due that now were more people who could frequent it, like the mayors of the cities in Sylvarant: who was profiting much with commerce and tourism between Tethe'alla and Sylvarant.

In the party hall's door, guards check the invites and the names in the guest list. When Sheena and Lloyd showed their invites and said their names the guards checked the list and nodded, letting they enter.

"Why all this security?", Lloyd asked, while they passed through the entrance hall.

"I heard there is much party intruders by these times.", Sheena answered.

When they arrived in the party local, the entire hall was full of the many of the King's guests. Sheena said that was better they took a table. Locating one near the windows, she and Lloyd sat there.

While Lloyd looked to the guests around a familiar person approached.

"I heard that you could come too!", Regal left the crowd and greeted his two friends, he was wearing a blue-marine tuxedo with a red tie. His hair was combed to back. "It's good to see you again!"

"Regal! How much time?", Lloyd said while stood to hold his friend's hand. Sheena also stood and stretched her hand, Regal take it and kissed.

"I must say: you're really beautiful in this dress!", Regal said in a educate way.

"Thanks. It's good to see you too!", Sheena and Lloyd sat again, Regal sat in a chair too.

The last time Lloyd and Sheena were in Altamira they couldn't talk with Regal. His secretary said that he was out in a meeting in Sylvarant.

Lloyd had heard much about Lazareno's construction projects, by what he knows, Regal was financing the reconstruction of Palmacosta and many other cities that was destroy during their journey. It was from Regal the idea to the King met with the mayors of Sylvarant's cities to establish relations between the two countries. Now that he freed his hands from the handcuffs he used for so much time, he was using all his influence and power to help to built a better world.

While he and Lloyd were talking about the reconstruction of Palmacosta, Sheena observed them, until she felt something strange. A disturbing presence was around, she didn't know what was, but something or someone in that party was giving to her a bad feeling.

The presence seemed to be close, but when it was coming closer it simple disappeared, like never existed or like it was occulting itself.

A man appeared from the middle of the guests. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a blue-marine tie, indicating that he was a business man. He had blonde opaque hair with a fringe lightly covering his right eye. He also displayed an arrogant look.

"Then these are the ones were you looking for, Duke Bryant?", the man asked, Regal stood.

"Yes it's them! Lloyd, Sheena this is Kermish! He's the owner of a newly commerce company called... hum..."

"New World's Commercial Net!", Kermish completed. He glanced over Lloyd. "So this is the hero who reunited the worlds?"

Lloyd then remembered that Regal said when you know a person in a event like that it's part of courtesy you hold the hand of the person. Lloyd stretched his hand, but Kermish didn't even bother to pay attention to this. He looked to Sheena and then to Regal and asked:

"Now, could we return to the subject we were talking about, Duke Bryant?"

"Oh yes! Lloyd, Sheena...", the swordsman and the ninja lifted the hands in sing of farewell. Kermish and Regal disappeared in the middle of the guests.

"What an arrogant moron! Did you see how he looked to you? Like if you was an ignorant or something?", Sheena said with a deeply annoyed voice tone.

"Yeah, I see. He even didn't give the hand."

A sound of glass was heard in the hall. All the guests went to their tables and sat. Then King's voice was heard:

"Noble guests... welcome to the celebration of my daughter's birthday! I'm pleased to see that so much people come! But this isn't the only motive to we celebrate! Like all of you could see we have some new acquaintances here, they are the mayors of Sylvarant and some of the heroes who reunited the worlds.", some guests stood and waved their hands to the guests, a very blushed Sheena and a lively Lloyd did the same. The King proceeded:

"I have had a meeting with them to establish pacific relations between our countries. Your populations had already traveled and established themselves in some cities of each country. So it's our duty to establish pacific relations with our neighbors and make the best for this entire world! My daughter already had made the promise to continue the discussions for the peace to doesn't leave that the work of your beloved heroes was in vain! So, a gift for the peace! For the heroes! And for my daughter's birthday!"

All the guests repeated the King's last words and gifted by touching their glasses. Lloyd and Sheena make the same, but Lloyd used much strong and broke Sheena's glass.

"Ops... I'm sorry Sheena!", Lloyd said, while his cheeks got red.

"It's ok! I also made this many times!", Sheena laughed, while ordered another glass.

Then the employers brought the cake and all the hall starts to sing "Happy Birthday" to Princess Hilda. In the end of the sing, Princess Hilda blew all the candles and the guests clapped.

"Now let's begin with the music!", by the King's words a musical group started to touch. The youngest guests went to the middle of the hall.

"Ohoh!", Lloyd pronounced and Sheena asked what was the problem. "I forgot that I don't know to dance!"

"Hehe! Don't you know? Don't worry! I'll teach you! Tiga had taught to me. He said it's good when I had to represent Mizuho in an event like this!", Sheena and Lloyd went to the middle of the hall and there Sheena taught to Lloyd some basic steps.

The swordsman learnt very quickly and he didn't step on anyone's foot at anytime.

Zelos was talking with some of his admirers and when he saw Lloyd and Sheena dancing together at the middle of the hall, the Chosen's jaw fallen.

After some hours, Sheena was tired and went to the food's table, saying that she was hungry. After take some punch, she heard the last voice she would like to hear that night:

"I didn't know that you like to play of date.", Zelos approached and Sheena avoid his look.

"What do you want to say with this?", the ninja said, while pretended to take more punch.

"Sheena, we two know that it can't be serious. Just look to you and look to Lloyd! He just leaves the nappies and..."

"Two things!", Sheena interrupted Zelos, she didn't want to hear his taunts that night. "One: it's not of your concern with who I go out. Two: Lloyd isn't a child anymore, he's man. That for signal it's much better than you!", Sheena gave emphasis to the last comment to show to Zelos that he wasn't so good has he thought.

The Chosen didn't seem to be affected by that comment. He maintained the smile and just continued to talk:

"Then, are you saying that Lloyd is a better man than me?", Zelos asked maintaining his characteristic smile.

"Wasn't I sufficient clear?", Sheena said with a voice tone that reminds much of Yuan.

"Even thinking that you already went in a date with me?", the connection of the words "Zelos" and "date" made Sheena's veins pulsed.

The female ninja always tried to forget that day, when she went to that same hall and was ignored by almost one hour by Zelos and his groupies. The remembrance of that episode make Sheena tightened the glass almost breaking it. Zelos seemed to don't notice, he just continued to talk:

"I just wonder what Lloyd will think when he knows that you already go out with me?!"

"What... do... you... mean?!", Sheena whispered between her teeth, she knew that she would regret of make that question, but when she asked that she didn't wait to receive a response like that.

"Sheena, you know that you don't need to go out with someone just to make me jealous! You always will be my top...", what Sheena would be of Zelos, probably she would never know, but Sheena was heard enough to her blood start to fever. In an impulse of anger Sheena spilled all the punch on Zelos' face.

All the guests nearby stopped to see the scene, which a confused looking and wetted Zelos looked to a Sheena that was with tears of anger. All the ninja's muscles were rigid.

"Never... said... this... again!", with these final words Sheena ran to the exit of the hall, almost hitting Kermish while run.

Zelos stood in the same place, while Lloyd, who saw the part where Sheena spilled the punch on the Chosen One, ran after her, calling her name.

In the fountain of the noble quarters, Sheena was sat while tears ran by her face. Lloyd arrived while Sheena talked:

"How does he dare? Talking with me like if I was someone who uses the others just to call his attention... idiot Zelos! That jerk..."

"Sheena?", Lloyd called, approaching slowly. Sheena then noticed him and quickly wiped her tears with the hand.

"Lloyd... sorry for all that scene before... you must be ashamed of me...", Sheena said, while look to the ground, she couldn't look into Lloyd's eyes.

"I'm not ashamed of you! I just want to know what happened.", Lloyd asked, sitting on the fountain near Sheena.

Sheena told the last part of her talk with Zelos and about he said that she was using Lloyd to call his attention. She didn't want to talk about the fact that Zelos thought that Lloyd still much child to go out with someone. When she ended, Lloyd seemed to be indignant. He offered himself to bring Zelos and make him apologize for all the things he said, but Sheena didn't want that.

"Forget it Lloyd! That moron doesn't worth this. I just didn't think that he would say that I'm someone who uses his own friends."

"Do you have certain?"

"No! I don't want to cause any more trouble to you. Not in the front of the King!"

"I'm sorry for brought you to this party.", Lloyd said, but Sheena shook her head, saying that it wasn't his fault.

Wiping more tears, she stood and said that she will back to the castle, the female ninja didn't want to cause more trouble or made Lloyd pass by shame. Lloyd stood too and shook the head saying:

"You never will make me shamed. I invited you because I wanted to go with you."

When Sheena heard that she couldn't hide the smile. So Lloyd really wanted to go with her. When the swordsman said that he would back with her to the castle too, Sheena said that it would be better if he continued in the party, to give an excuse for her absence to the King.

With a nod, Lloyd backed to the party hall, while a smiling Sheena went back to the castle...

- - - - -

Some hours after Lloyd had back without Sheena, Zelos left the party along with some guests that needed to work tomorrow. After entered in his mansion, Tethe'alla's Chosen sat in chair thinking:

"Man, I think now I spoiled up the things."

He didn't care that Sheena almost shouted with him or that she spilled punch in all his hair, but what most bothered him was the way that she looked to him. It wasn't hate what he see, but deception, deception for what he thought about her and by the thought that she would be capable of use someone, mainly one of her friends.

While Zelos thought in all of this, Sebastian appeared in the hall.

"Master Zelos! You arrive early and... what did happen with your hair?", Sebastian asked. Zelos then noticed that his hair still sticky.

"Oh this? It's nothing, it was just a... accident... anyway, what are you doing wake up until this hour?"

"I was waiting for you come back to deliver this...", Sebastian handed to Zelos the letter.

It came from the Abbey and the remitter was Zelos' sister, Seles. Zelos looked to the letter again, like to analyze if it wasn't a trick.

It was true that after the end of the journey to reunite the worlds, Zelos and Seles adjusted their differences, but it was the first time that Seles sent to him a letter. Opening it, Zelos read, it was his sister's signature, but what most called the Chosen's attention was the subject of the message. After ended to read, Zelos stood and said:

"Sebastian, I will change myself and go! I have to take care of a subject!", Zelos said, while went up the stairs.

"Is it alright with your sister?"

"No, it isn't with her! But it seems that someone got in trouble..."


	5. Strange Happenings

Thanks for the comments people, I'll try to watch the expressions and all for the next chapters.

Now let's get some action inside it. I know you all were waiting for some fight and we'll have someone that usually don't appear to fight in some fics. So I wait you enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Strange Happenings**

At the morning of the following day to the party, Lloyd and Sheena dismissed of the King and the Princess. Sheena had gather supplies in that morning, right after awake, while Lloyd continued to sleep like a rock.

When the swordsman and the ninja exited from the castle other ninja, dressed in blue, approached.

"Orochi, what are you doing here?", Sheena asked to her friend from Mizuho.

"I was looking for you and I had the intuition that you'll come to the Princess birthday party! Something very bad happened and the chiefs call you in Mizuho!", Orochi said.

Sheena gave a shocked look to the male ninja, Lloyd then asked what happened, but Orochi said that neither him knew all the details.

"Then let's go to Mizuho!", Lloyd said.

Sheena nodded, she and Lloyd ran to Meltokio's exit. There they took out the Rheairds from the Wingpack and boarded on them, heading in the way to Mizuho...

- - - - -

Zelos flew by all the last night and arrived in that morning on the Abbey. There he didn't lose time and entered. Seles was near the door and when Zelos entered she said:

"Big brother, then you received my letter."

"Yeah, I come in the moment that I read! Now where's he?", Zelos asked. Seles pointed to the pews.

Yuan was sat in the last line, looking to the image at the altar. He had some bandages around the arms and the legs. Zelos approached and sat at his side.

"Then, what bring you here?", Zelos asked with his characteristic smile. Yuan glanced over him and said:

"When your sister said that she will call someone, I thought that was someone more... competent."

"Hum... for some reason, I feel that this wasn't what you wil said!"

Yuan stood and retrieved some bandages, revealing part of his clothes had some cuts, but the skin was totally intact, like he never had wounds.

"Thanks for the hospitality, Seles...", Yuan leaned his head in thanks. "But I had to go."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa?! Are you just going like this?! Without said to us what happened?", Zelos asked. Yuan gave an annoying glance to him.

"I don't see the need to explain to you what happened. Just back to your mansion and...", at that moment, screams were heard from outside. "Did you see anything strange when you come?", Zelos shook the head, Yuan then hurried and went to outside, following by Zelos and Seles.

Outside, priestess ran trying to found a cover while a giant white sea-snake destroyed the pier.

Zelos' mouth feel. What a marine monster from deep waters was doing in there? But he didn't have time to think on that, when the snake spotted them it attacked with its mouth open, trying to eat them.

Without hesitation, Yuan showed his wings and flew away. Zelos did the same, taking Seles with him.

The sea snake bit the door, ripping it out and smashing it with the sharp teeth. Yuan, Zelos and Seles landed near and the snake prepared for another attack.

"Go away you two! I take care of this thing!", Yuan draw his double-edged sword and prepared for battle.

"Did you really think we will let you face this monster alone? No way! You're not totally healed!", Seles said. "We will help you, right Zelos?", Seles turned to her brother. Zelos drew his sword while nodded.

"Hump!", Yuan mumbled and flew to the sea snake.

Zelos tried to convince Seles to search for shelter, but she refused while showed her exphere.

"Ok, fine, do whatever you want! But don't come crying to me if you got hurt!", Zelos shook his head and flew to battle with Yuan too.

The snake was using some spread spells to hit Yuan, but he avoided easily and slashed the snake's scales. The monster roared angry and used a water breath, this time Yuan wasn't prepared for that and the water column hit him.

The Seraph hit the ground and the snake stilled to use the water column on him, clearly trying to drown him. In that moment Zelos flew to the snake's face:

"Super Lightning Blade!!", the thrust hit the monster's face, following for a lightning bolt that electrocuted the head.

The water flow stopped and Yuan stood, preparing to fly again. Seles was charging a light spell, while her brother distracted the sea snake. When the spell was ready, Seles pronounced:

"Ray!!", a great shining ball appeared in the front of the snake and shoot light rays on it. Taking the opportunity Zelos enchanted his sword with fire magic.

"Hell Pyre!!", Zelos slashed the monster's body and throw a fire ball on it.

The fire burned the scales and the flesh while the snake shouted of pain. Then a blue magic circle appeared beneath it and sudden the waves of the sea started to grow, until a great tsunami took form. It was the Tidal Wave spell.

Zelos tried to reach his sister, but the snake grabbed him with the tail and slammed the Chosen in the ground.

Seles looked to the giant wave coming and covered her head, thinking that was the end for her. Then Yuan flew in high speed and grabbed Seles by the shoulders, at time the water came and washed all the area. In the air Seles looked to the ground and saw the wave invading the building of the Abbey, breaking windows and washing away much of the furniture.

"It seems now we are quit.", Yuan said and Seles nodded with a smile.

Yuan glanced over the sea snake and saw Zelos stucked in its tail. Seles saw it too and said to Yuan to leave her in the snake's tail.

"Are you crazy? That thing can kill you!", the Seraph refused to do such dangerous thing.

"Trust in me, I'm not so helpless how I seem."

Yuan looked to Zelos again, the snake was trying to crush him. Deciding to try, Yuan flew over the snake and when they were over the tail, he left Seles go. When she was some meters above the tail, Seles took her purse (a present gave by Tokunaga when Seles decided to go to Meltokio face Zelos in the Coliseum, he said the purse was modified by the elves to carry anything even if it was much big or heavy, like a Wingpack) and took a sword from it. Swimming the sword, Seles cut the monster's tail.

While the snake roared in pain, Yuan dived, aiming the head and stroke it:

"Thunder Explosion!!", many lightning fell, some hit the wound that Yuan made, electrocuting all the snake's head, inside and outside.

The charge was so strong that the snake couldn't even scream. It fell, causing a light shake.

Zelos and Seles approached while Yuan retrieved his sword from the snake's head.

"Well, it looks this thing didn't have any chance against us!", Zelos said, smiling like he knew all the time that they would win.

"It's better you don't sing victory yet. I don't believe that a deep water's monster would come here just searching for food. There must be something else.", Yuan said, looking to the corpse of the vicious monster.

Zelos nodded, it was really strange that a monster of the sea came to land and attacked only them. A sound of crack was heard and all the Abbey's building went down.

"Oh no! Now what I go to do?!", Seles said, while looked to what rest of place where she passed most of her life.

"Don't worry. You can come to my mansion. Anyway, I don't thing it's safe for you stay here, more monsters can appear.", Zelos said, trying to cheer up his sister.

"So you two go! I had to back to the Renegades. Flanoir's Base isn't so far from here."

Yuan prepared to flew, but Zelos stopped him:

"Hey, hey?! Are you just going like this?! You still don't tell to us what happened!", Zelos said, almost demanding responses.

"Like I said before: It's not of your concern!"

"When giant monsters attack us and destroy my sister's house, I thing the matter starts to be of my concern!", Zelos crossed his arms and Seles looked from Zelos toYuan, like she waited the two started an argue.

Yuan sighed and just told to they came with him to Flanoir's Base. There he would explain all that was happening...

- - - - -

Lloyd was outside Tiga's house, waiting for Sheena that was inside. Orochi said that only Sheena could enter because it was a subject for the chiefs. Lloyd nodded while Sheena entered.

He couldn't hear anything from there. He tried to put his hear in the door, but without result.

When Lloyd was tired of wait, Sheena opened the door and came, wearing a worry expression on her face. Lloyd asked how was and Sheena said:

"Mizuho's network information was sabotaged!", Sheena said with a heavy, worrying voice.

"Sabotaged?! How could this happen?!", Lloyd never thought that it was possible. Sheena always told about Mizuho's network information like it was an infallible thing. Whenever they needed of it, it was there, preparing to gave aid to them.

"I can't say to you all the details! But it seems that someone betrayed us and eliminated great part of our field agents!"

_Betrayed them?_, Lloyd thought. Why someone in Mizuho would turn against their own people? Well... Kuchinawa made it, but he just tried to take revenge upon Sheena, by his parents' death. He didn't make anything against the village.

"Do you have any suspects?", Lloyd asked. Tiga came out, he also had a worry expression.

"This is the stranger part. Only a high ranked ninja of the village could know the identity of our agents, but the most of them was the ones killed. It's simple a mystery!", Tiga said, crossing his arms.

"Sorry for we aren't here... if there's anything we can do...", Sheena started to say, but a voice inside de house make she stopped.

Igagury, Mizuho's chief and Sheena's grandfather came. He seemed to be more worrying that Sheena and Tiga, if that was possible. But Sheena understood why. Like Mizuho's leader it was his responsibility for what happened with the information network.

"The only thing you can do now is continue your journey to gather the expheres. Your warriors gave their lives to discover more about the expheres location for you, so you must continue for their sake!", Igagury talked, in a solemn tone, the same that he used when he gave a mission to Sheena.

"Yes grandpa! I swear I will make this for them!"

"More one thing... this was the last right information we received...", Igagury handed to Sheena a piece of paper.

Lloyd knew that was a subject for the chiefs, but he couldn't hold his curiosity, so he approached cautiously to see what was written in the paper. Sheena noticed that, but she made nothing to stop Lloyd. The swordsman saw why.

The paper was written in Mizuho's writing. Lloyd couldn't understand a single word of what was written. Even if he could understand, the paper had a code on it that only the high ranked Mizuho's ninja could read.

After read all, Sheena handed the letter to Tiga and thanked to them for the information. Before they enter Sheena insisted if there was something she could do to help in reestablished the information network.

"Only I have all the details about the information network and the positions of everybody who work on it, so it's just me and Tiga who know what was the damage. I'm sorry Sheena, there's nothing you can do about it. Just continue your journey with your... friend.", Igagury and Tiga entered, leaving Lloyd and Sheena alone.

"So... what we going to do now?", Sheena asked.

"Hum... since we don't have anything more to do, how about we visit Genis and professor? We aren't so far from Sybak!"

Sheena nodded. It made some time since they last saw Genis and Raine. By what Sheena learned, they were studying at Sybak. Genis was doing laws, while Raine was working with a group of amateurs and professional archeologists, studying runes and relics.

"Oh, by the way, what was written in that paper and what they mean with 'the last right information'?", Lloyd asked.

"I will tell to you in the way."


	6. Opponents

Thanks for the reviews, it seems my fic is pleasing :D

The plot is starting to get interesting now. Soon you all will have a taste of the true action of the story. Wait for more surprises in these future chapters.

Now on to the show!

I know that I should have did this in the first chapters, but better now then never: DISCLAIMER: I don't own ToS or any of it's characters. I just own the OCs that appear in the fic.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Opponents**

"So, there is another organization searching for the expheres?", Zelos and Seles were in Flanoir's Base, hearing Yuan's explanation about the last news the Renegades got about the underworld of crime.

"All drive us to conclude this! It seems those who get expheres, had great resources or capacity to got more are invited to participate of an organization, whose the objective seems to be reunite all expheres.", Yuan told to them, sitting in his office in that base.

"And...", Zelos asked.

"It's all that we know."

Yuan bit his lip. How more their agents tried to discover about it, more danger they encountered. But now Yuan knew why, they had a spy on them to say who they were investigating and what they discovered. Now the spy had gone, but they stilled lack of information about this new organization. They didn't even know their plans for the expheres.

"So... you want to contact Lloyd because of it... to say that the expheres were stolen by this organization.", Seles commented and Yuan nodded.

That was the worst part for the Renegade leader. They lost all the expheres and didn't have any idea of how they would recover it. They lost all that Lloyd and Sheena worked so hard to take... how could he blame with them because the times when they almost fail when he, Yuan, the last Seraphim in that world, failed?

"Well, then we can help you.", Zelos said, trying to look positive.

"We don't even know where their main base is. The best you can do now is back to Meltokio and wait. We will try to contact Lloyd.", Yuan said, with a tone that said that talk had ended...

- - - - -

"Now, here's the grade of the final test. Many of you was good on it...", the professor said while hand over the tests. All the class was anxious to receive the last grade that would say who had graduated and who hadn't.

All the students were talking among themselves, just waiting to receive this critical test, but some of them were quiet. In especial a silver haired half-elf.

Many students seemed to be impressed that a half-elf finally could frequent the classes like everybody else, while others didn't agreed with it.

"How could they leave that thing enter here?", always that someone said it, an older person smack him, saying that attitude was the type of thing that made the half-elves try to destroy them. When Genis heard that he didn't know if it was a scold or a warning.

Discrimination in Sybak was reduced, but didn't disappear. Like an old companion once said: "Always are those who reject the salvation". Genis got used to didn't mind to those things. He reached an important step in his life and nothing or anybody would get him down. Genis received his test and looked to the grade: 10!

The half-elf almost jumped of happiness. All the last night woke, studying, had worth. When the class over Genis stormed out of the room. He couldn't wait to tell to his sister, but she was working right now and Raine didn't like to be interrupted in her new work.

Outside, Genis went to the square of the city, there he encounter a half-elf with dark blue, long hair, wearing a laboratory garb and glasses. Genis met him in the last week, like him, this half-elf was some of lost in the University City.

"Oh, hi Genis!", the half-elf said.

"Hi Merilius!", Genis said with a smile.

"Why are you so happy?", Genis showed to the blue haired half-elf his test. "Oh, I see. You know, if I had half of your brain Sybak would be eating at the palm of my hand.", Merilius joked while Genis laugh.

Genis and he sat to talk about the final works and the students who insisted that their place wasn't there and that they would fail, when Genis heard a familiar voice:

"Hey Genis!", the silver haired half-elf stood and looked to the entrance of the city.

Lloyd and Sheena approached while Genis ran, with a big smile in his face as he hugged his two friends.

"Sheena! Lloyd! It's good to see you two."

They said the same while Merilius approached to see. He never saw the little half-elf so happy to see someone. After some time, Sheena noticed his presence and asked to Genis who was him.

"Everybody, this is Merilius. He's studying here too, he does chemistry."

The blue haired half-elf shook their hands, while said that Genis talked much about them, always saying how he missed them. Genis blushed saying that it wasn't like that.

The young student then asked if they wanted to meet Raine.

"Of course! We came here to visit you two.", Sheena said.

Genis guided them by the city while told how the last year was: his difficulties, the boring students and how everything changed in the city after the half-elves started to frequent the cafeteria, the library and the streets.

They arrived in the main building of the researches. There they entered in the first floor corridor, that lead to the different laboratories and when they were close to the second door to the right they heard a familiar voice:

"No, no, no! How many times did I have to say the translation is 'seeker' and not 'seen'?"

Entering in the room, they saw a silver haired, half-elf woman talking with a researcher about the translation of some runes. Genis called her attention with an "ahem".

"Lloyd, Sheena! How are you two?", Raine said when she saw her old student and her friend.

"Really fine. And you? It seems you're doing what you like.", Sheena said, while looked to the room and saw that was reformed and expanded. Much of the relics were gathered in small groups and shelves, classified by local, civilization and age.

"Yes and I must say, this is really a pleasure work. And you won't believe how it was disorganized when I started?", Raine said, with the gleam in her eyes so common to her when she talked about ruins, ancient civilizations or new species.

"Yes. Raine alone classified all the items that we have here and now is helping us with some complex translations of runes.", the professor in charge of the room said.

Raine looked to another student that was carrying a vase and went to him, saying that wasn't the right place of that relic and started to lecture about traces that could shown from what civilization the relic came.

Lloyd and the others just looked how Raine scolded the poor student, saying things that she judged he should have learned about steps to identify a relic. The student gave a look to the other professor, clearly saying "help".

"Well, it can be nothing, but in my class I heard that some students said Raine is getting all the archeology class mad. She even tried to change the syllabus of the classes.", Merilius said.

"She can do this?", Lloyd asked.

"No. The deans said that only professors of the university can do this. I heard that now she's trying to get the post."

Lloyd could only imagine Raine scolding all the students about things like translation of ruins and history. She never was like that in Iselia, but now that Raine was doing something related to the word "ruin", he could only fell sorry for all the students.

Lloyd and Sheena sat in chairs, near the table in the center of the room, while waited Raine finished her "talk" with the student. Genis also sat near Lloyd and the three talked while Merilius analyzed some stone tablets in the room.

After some time the door opened and a Renegade entered. Raine noticed that and went to the Renegade, asking if she could help him. The Renegade then spotted Lloyd and Sheena and went to them.

"Master Lloyd, Lord Yuan requested your presence at Flanoir's base. He needs to tell to you about the expheres theft.", the Renegade said.

"WHAT?!", Lloyd jumped from the chair, knocking it over, when he heard what the Renegade said.

"Lloyd you should hurry.", Raine said, opening the door.

The Renegade left with Lloyd and Sheena on his toe. Before went Lloyd apologize for had to departure so early.

"Don't worry, you can visit us at anytime, but for now it's better you go.", Genis said to his friend. Lloyd nodded and hurried to catch up Sheena and the Renegade...

- - - - -

Some hours later, Lloyd stormed into Yuan's office, shouting and slamming his fists in the table while demand answers:

"WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE EXPHERES?!"

"It seems you received my notice.", Yuan replied in his controlled, sarcastic tone. "Sit down and calm yourself, we have much to talk."

Sheena entered, she looked as annoyed as Lloyd.

"How can you say to we calm down when you lost all that we worked so hard to get? DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF ALL THE TROUBLE WE WENT TO GET ALL THAT EXPHERES?!", Sheena shout as loud as Lloyd while bent over the table, almost getting face to face with Yuan.

"I don't need a lecture about this from you too. Zelos already said it to me.", Lloyd and Sheena gave to Yuan a confused look. The Renegade leader sighed and started to tell to them all that happened since he went after the thief of the expheres.

When he ended, Sheena seemed to calm down. She sat and when Yuan told to her his suspects about someone sent the sea snake, she said that couldn't be possible.

"If you have another explanation for a marine monster had come to land and started to attack us I will be more than glad to hear it.", Yuan crossed his arms, Sheena stay in silence. "It was what I thought. Now like you can see there's another organization after the expheres and we believe that was this organization that sent that thief."

The Eternal Swordsman and the summoner seemed imprisoned. There was another organization after the expheres and it achieved to take the Renegade's expheres and they didn't know anything about it?

"Why didn't you tell us this?", Lloyd asked.

"I didn't want to you get worried about this, you should concentrate in take the expheres. We also thought that they wouldn't dare to do something direct against us. My worst mistake.", Yuan sighed before continue. "In the last two months our agents and spies had noticed that much criminals and thieves who had expheres disappeared. In the beginning, we thought that they were killed in a fight against rivals or something. But then we discovered that they joined to this organization."

Lloyd and Sheena took every word of what Yuan was saying. The fact that a bunch of criminals were all together, in a same place, for a same cause was indeed something to worry about. Yuan continued:

"We don't have much information about this organization, but we know that in this last month they bought most of the expheres circulating in the black market and now are recruiting powerful people who had expheres or have conditions to obtain some. Like Cromwell.", Yuan added.

Lloyd and Sheena exchange worrying glances. They hadn't heard about Cromwell since they invaded his mansion.

"Yes, we have strong suspects that Cromwell was negotiating with them. We also have a light suspect that, by the lost of the Cruxis Crystal, Cromwell was executed by them."

"What?", Sheena asked, surprised. Cromwell really was an arrogant, selfish moron, but even he didn't deserve to die because of that stones. "But why are they so desperate to take the expheres?"

"We don't know.", Yuan moved in his chair before continued. "We also don't know where their base is or who their leader is. Always when ours agents got close to discover their leader's identity accidents, traps or threats against the family of your agents were heard. Three of them already died because of it. Now I know that it happened because they had a spy infiltrated, but now the situation got critical, because of this spy they now have all our expheres. There isn't how told what they can do with such great number of that stones. It's because I called you. We... need your help to recover the expheres and stop this new organization.", Yuan stood and bowed his head in a clear signal that he was asking for help. Sheena also noticed that his last words almost had a desperate tone.

Sheena never thought that she would hear an ask for help from Yuan. She looked to Lloyd and asked if he was according to help them.

"Of course we will help. I won't let these guys use the expheres to do anything of bad!", Lloyd said.

By hearing that, Yuan seemed to be relieved. He pressed a button in the communicator on his desk. Some minutes later, Denvir entered, while Yuan sat and started to talk again.

"We also spotted a group of bandits heading to Iselia direction. They're carrying a large box. We believe they will encounter with dealers of this organization", Yuan said.

Denvir left some papers on Yuan's desk, while Sheena asked:

"How can you have certain about it?"

"Because in the last months all the main business involving expheres was make by this organization that want to gather them all. And all the expheres that they took don't appear anymore.", Denvir answered in Yuan's place.

"Correct. We have information that they will reunite at Iselia's Human Ranch. We can use the teleporter in this base to go to Triet's Base and from there we will go after them and wait fot the dealer to appear. Now Denvir, could you show to them our guest rooms? I'm sure they will need a good rest before we go.", with this, Yuan started to read the papers that Denvir brought.

Lloyd and Sheena left the room, following Denvir to the guest rooms. During all the way, Sheena wore a thoughtful look. Noticing that, Lloyd asked what bothered her and the ninja said:

"By this time, they must have enough expheres to equip an army and conquer a city. But it seems they didn't make anything like this... they must be saving the expheres for something really big..."


	7. When the Darkness Arrives

Thanks for comment people! I'll watch the things that you said in your reviews.

Now for all that were waiting, here's a taste of the true story's action. Also, some villans appear here.

So without much delay let's go!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**When the Darkness Arrived**

The crescent moon illuminated partially the scene that was going to happen. Cold winds blew in the grounds at the front of Iselia Human Ranch. Yuan, Lloyd and Sheena were hid in some bushes at the left of the front gate.

They were there since the sunset, waiting for the group of bandits to arrive. When the bandits came, the two groups waited for the mysterious dealer that, with some luck, could be someone who worked for the new organization. Lloyd was starving, he didn't eat anything since they arrived, he complained about it three times until that Yuan lost his patience and said:

"If you don't shut your mouth now, I will take care to you didn't fell hungry now and for the rest of your life.", the Seraph whispered, showing his sword, threatening.

Lloyd stopped after this, but he stilled impatient. The bandits arrived ten minutes back and the dealer didn't show up yet. When he was ready to give up, Yuan poked him and pointed to the road that gave access to the ranch, a group of four people were coming.

When they approached of the bandits, Lloyd and Sheena could see them clearly and gasped. Leading the group was a brawny, green lizardman, wearing a silver upper armor, steel boots with design of claws in the feet and dark-blue pants.

The bandits drew their weapons when they saw the lizardman, but the creature only lifted his hand, in signal that he wasn't there for fight.

"Sheath your weapons. I'm here to make the trade.", the lizardman said in an authoritarian voice, like if he was talking to his subordinates or someone in an inferior position.

"How can we know if you aren't here to eat us?", asked a bandit, the rest of the band laughed.

The lizardman ground his teethes, showing how sharp they are, but the bandits were so busy laughing at him that they failed to notice this. When the lizard seemed to be ready to jump at them, one human in the group put his hand at the lizard's shoulder and said:

"It's not the time yet, Scarv.", the human was wearing clothes which resembles the ones that the rogues normally used, but he didn't wear a cloak and had a ring mail under it. His black eyes and hair had a stronger shade as Sheena's, almost confusing with the darkness of the night. The rogue then talked to the bandits. "I believe you remember of me."

"Oh, yeah. You're the guy who told to we come here.", said one of the bandits. "So, did you bring the gold?"

Two duelists that companied the lizardman's group came forth. Lloyd, Yuan and Sheena saw they were carrying a huge treasure chest. The duelists dropped the chest and opened it, a golden light came from it, indicating the chest contained gold.

The eyes of the bandits went wide while they looked inside the chest. They were almost drooling when the rogue closed the chest with his foot.

"So, I think it's all ok. Now about the expheres...", the bandit leader made a signal with the hand and another bandit, carrying a small wooden box, came and opened it, showing its content to the dealers. By the expression on their faces, Yuan could guess the box contained the expheres. "Ah, good."

"Let's attack...", Sheena whispered, but Yuan made a signal with his hand for her to stop. "But, they're going to escape."

"Just observe...", it was all that Yuan said while the two groups exchanged their goods.

Then, like if Yuan knew all the time that it would happen, the bandit's leader drew his weapon and pointed to the rogue, who was with the box in his hands.

"What the...", Lloyd and the rogue said at the same time.

"Now hand over the box and maybe we leave you stay alive. Maybe...", the bandit leader said, while the other members of the band drew their weapons as well.

Lloyd and the others could hear the dealer asking "why?". The bandits laugh again.

"What do you think we are? A bunch of idiots? We know very that there's two Cruxis Crystals there. There are much people that will sell their souls to take it. It's nothing personal, it's just a matter of taxes and all."

"Now?", the lizardman asked to his companion under menace.

The dealer nodded and, faster than the eyes could see, he drew a short curved blade and hit the bandit's sword, making it fly from his hand, while he jumped to back.

The other bandits charged while the lizardman came fourth. Lloyd and the others could see a strange shine coming from the lizard's middle opened mouth. When the humanoid creature opened totally his mouth a great breath of fire came out and hit all the bandits around, burning them to their bones.

Lloyd's and Sheena's jaw fell. So that creature wasn't just a lizardman, it was also a dragon. But they never saw a dragon like that. While the pondered about that, a smiling Scarv gave the back to scene, preparing to go.

"Now!", Yuan shouted, running in an inhuman speed. The lizardman didn't have time even to see who shout before being hit by a punch, which made he flew back.

Lloyd went against the two duelists while Sheena took care of the rogue that already was on guard after Yuan's ferocious attack.

Sheena tried to hit the rogue, but he just dodged with the exphere's box in the hands. When Scarv stood the rogue threw the box to him, saying to him for run.

"No one hit me like this and go away with!", the humanoid dragon shout, while made his arm's scales form a sword and went against Yuan.

"Stupid, stubborn reptile.", murmured the rogue under his breath, while started to battle against Sheena.

Passed some minutes, Lloyd beat down one of the duelists and was already taking care of the second. Yuan was engaged in a ferocious battle against Scarv, that made his blade erupt in fire and now was using his fire breathes against him. One breath hit Yuan, but the Seraph simply didn't care about the burn and charged, using electric balls.

Sheena was in a difficult situation, the rogue simple avoided all of her attacks and already landed two blows on her, one in the arm and another in the face, if it wasn't for her great agility the blows could hit a muscle. The rogue seemed to fun with that fight until he decided to finish that.

The rogue threw his blade at Sheena, who made a magic shield using her cards to deflect the flying weapon, but in this fraction of seconds the rogue jumped in the air at the time to take his deflected weapon and drew another identical, slashing vertically the two weapons. Sheena was caught in surprised by that attack, but she achieved to use two hands full of seal cards to make a magic shield against the attack.

By doing that the ninja left her lower part of the body in open, while the skilled assassin hit the cards. Before the female ninja could recover from the powerful blow, the rogue kicked her in the stomach. The reaction was automatic, Sheena clutched her stomach, while the rogue delivered another strong kick on her face, making Sheena flew to side, and in a quick turn he slashed her with his two weapons, hitting her legs and the belly.

The ninja felt the pain of the two accurate hits while took her hands to the wounds and saw it bathed on her own blood. Suddenly a spark of memory ran trough her memory:

_A six years old Sheena was on the ground, her opponent had knocked her down by the third time. She just kept trying, but she couldn't avoid of that powerful attack._

"_It's not fair! You know this advanced move and I don't!", the young Sheena shouted to her opponent, a black haired boy with a mocking smile in his face._

"_And what guilt I had if you're weak? This is my family's trademark move. If you can't avoid it you can never defeat me or anybody stronger.", the boy said with a laugh tone in his voice._

_Three months after that, Sheena completed seven and was given her first mission, that only confirmed what the boy said..._

Sheena then noticed: there was only one person she knew that could make that move and wasn't in the village.

The rogue was under her, ready to deliver the final blow when he stopped, with a doubtful look on his face.

"You seem familiar... did I kill a relative of yours?", the rogue asked. Sheena looked to him and recognized. It was the same face, some older, but there was the same boy who always won her in the trainings, saying she was too weak to be a true ninja.

"Shioru.", Sheena whispered.

"What?! How did you know my... wait... I know your face... SHEENA?!", the rogue shouted, making Lloyd looked to the two.

He saw the situation what Sheena was in, and quickly blew out the last duelist using Hunting Beast.

"What you're doing?", Sheena asked.

"You mean this?", he looked to himself. "I just discovered that this pays better than a ninja's live. And I must thank you for this."

Before Sheena could ask more, Lloyd jumped between her and the ex-ninja, who tried to jump back, but was too slow and received a horizontal cut in the chest. Looking to Scarv, Shioru saw the lizard was having a hard time against the Seraph. It was a good time to they to retreat.

Running, the rogue took the wooden box, abandoned in the ground, and ran, shouting to the lizardman at the way:

"Let's get out!", the lizardman looked to the assassin and back to Yuan.

"Don't think it ends here half-elf!", Scarv also ran.

Yuan tried to follow him, but when Scarv passed of the ranch's sign he quickly turned around and used a fire breath in the ground. Yuan jumped back to don't be burned while a fire wall rose up, blocking the road. With a smile, Scarv ran after Shioru down road.

The Renegade leader was ready to show his wings and flew after the two, when he heard Lloyd calling Sheena's name. Looking to the ninja, he saw her in a puddle of blood. With a groan and a quick glance to the down path, he went to her.

"She was badly wounded!", Lloyd said to Yuan, while the Seraph bent to look. After a quick analyze he stood again.

"We have to go back to the base and take her to medical treatment.", Yuan took a device that Lloyd never saw before. It seemed like a small rectangular plastic box with some buttons and small holes in the top and the bottom. the Seraph talked to the holes in the bottom of the box. "Denvir, teleport for three on Iselia Ranch Sector. We have a hurt man needing medical care."

In a blink of eyes, they all were teleport back to Triet base...

- - - - -

Colette couldn't sleep that night. She didn't know why, but she had a strange felling that bugged her. She then went to the kitchen to take a glass of water, maybe it could help her to get calm.

After had filled a glass, she came back to the hall, drinking the water. Looking to the window she saw strange shadows roaming the village with her angel vision.

She couldn't tell who they were, the window was too much blurred by the damp. A feeling of worry came to her: they could be bandits.

Deciding to investigate, Colette took her Halo chackrans and went outside. The night was some of cold and she stilled wearing her pink pajamas, but she didn't have time for that, she needed to discover who those strangers were. Showing her pink, transparent, angel wings, she floated some inches of the ground to don't make noise and followed the sound of footsteps.

She spotted the two figures going through the road that gives access to the north exit of the town, at the right side of the school building. She hid in the trees and observed them stopping near the cliff that gave sight to the ocean. Looking better, Colette noticed that the bigger one had some short of green-scaled skin, but before the girl could think about it, a voice came from behind:

"Didn't your parents teach to you that is dangerous for a little girl walk alone in the middle of the night?", Colette jumped and looked back.

Back her was a blond man wearing black clothes that resembled much her Chosen's garb, but with some differences: the clothe was full of details in gold and behind of a black cloak there was what looked to be a big golden cross with some drawings of jewels in red and green. The eyes of the man were of a lifeless brown color.

When the man moved, Colette jumped to the road, denunciating her presence to the other two.

"Master Kermish, what...? This girl, she's an angel!", said the man wearing standard rogue clothes, carrying a wooden box, looking to Colette's wings.

"Yes. And she was following you. I thought you had said your ninja abilities could tell to you when you were being followed.", asked the blond man called Kermish, with an important look on his face and a tone like he was talking with a five years old children.

"Sorry, but she must have fly to here. Otherwise I would have..."

"Spare your apologizes to yourself!", Kermish turned to Colette again. "You have some courage girl, following my subordinates like this. I see you're Sylvarant's Chosen, well I wasn't thinking about take the Chosen's crystal, but it'll certain eliminate some future annoyances. Now, hand over the crystal and we will let you go without any harm."

Kermish opened his hand, but Colette didn't even move. She couldn't hand over her Cruxis Crystal to someone that could use it to harm innocents. The blond angel looked around, she was really surrounded by Kermish, the rogue and the other stranger, who, she could see now, was a brawny, menace looking lizardman.

"Oh please Kermish. Can't we just have her how our slave? I'm certainly I could use her on my domestically jobs.", the rogue said, analyzing Colette with an interested look.

"You certainly have strange tastes Slash.", the lizardman said, looking to his companion.

"What do you m... Hey! I didn't mean like that! And besides, if it was with you, Scarv, I'm certain you would end by eating the girl.", said Slash, the rogue, with a mocking look to the lizardman.

"How many times did I have to tell to you that I'm not like this?"

The two started to argue and this distracted Kermish. Colette then thought in a plan, if she was quick enough, she could turn the game on her favor.

"STOP YOU TWO NOW!!", Kermish shout, the two stopped at the same time. "Now girl, I'm growing impatient. Hand me the Crystal, now!"

"Sorry mister Kermish, but I'm not so helpless like you think.", said Colette with an innocent smile on her face, what confused Kermish.

In the next second, Colette take out one her chackrans and tried to hit Kermish, he noticed it in time and jumped back while Colette threw the same chackran on Slash and Scarv, the two also dodged.

"Ha! You miss...", before the lizardman could end, Colette used Para Ball on him, throwing two projectiles that when hit Scarv were follow by lightning strikes. "You little..."

Scarv started to advance, but he heard a strange sound. Looking to the back, the lizardman saw the chackran coming back and it hit him in face with great force. Scarv bent, scratching his muzzle. Colette grabbed her chackran back.

"I told to you I'm not so helpless.", said the blond Chosen with other smile.

"By nose. You will baid bor it!", the lizard said.

Kermish sighed, looking how his two high soldiers were easily dribbled by a girl. Colette started to make cross signals while a white circle appeared above her and pink feathers flew around her.

"Oh only one, cast thy purify light upon this corrupt...", Colette chanted, Kermish remembered what spell was that.

"Quickly! Stop her before she end the spell!", Kermish shout for the two soldiers, but it was too late.

"Judgment!"

Stars fell from the skies. Scarv, who stilled distracted, was hit by much of it. Slash tried to dodge, just to be hit by other stars. At the end, Scarv fell down, Slash wasn't so hit like him, but also took some wounds that make him bend. Kermish sighed again and said:

"It seems I will have to take care of it myself...", he then looked to Colette that stilled ready for the combat. "It's better you pray for someone in the heavens likes you, because I will send you right to Nifflheim."

Kermish stretched his hand and started to reunite dark energies on the palm, just like Yuan did. Sudden, Colette felt the strangest sensation of her life, the same she felt just some minutes ago. It was like a great shadow covered the entire field and some feelings, which she hid in the bottom of her heart, came to the surface.

The Chosen then saw it, a great shadow ,with red shining eyes, covering Kermish's body, like if it was its own. So sudden that this fearful vision came it disappeared, right in the time that Kermish pronounced:

"Shadow Ball!"

A darkness sphere flew towards Colette that when noticed it used Damage Guard. But when the shadow magic hit the shield around the Chosen One it enlarged and covered the entire shield, trapping Colette in a dark round prison.

"Hahaha! Now you're lost. Your fellow Seraph survived to this magic, but I can see you're weaker than him. It'll drain all your mana slowly, until it sucks your own life!", Kermish's voice was heard from outside, laughing at her.

Colette felt her forces being drained and the darkness coming closer. She decided to try a last thing and started to charge another spell. Outside, Kermish just observed the great dark sphere with a smile. He was ready to go when he heard Colette shout "Angle Feathers" from inside the sphere.

Light rays shot from the sphere and it exploded while three light chackrans came against him. Before Kermish could use any magic spell, he was hit and shouted of pain while the light energies ran trough his body.

Colette just observed the man twitching while light sparks ran trough all his body. She never saw that type of effect of her spell on humans. She only saw her spell do that type of effect on demons and darkness monsters.

Suddenly, Kermish crossed his hands at his chest, forming an X, and started to gather again energies around in his body. Colette stood ready, but never could expect for what was about to come. Kermish stretched his two arms and shouted:

"Fear Flow!", waves of purple and dark energy flowed towards Colette.

The Chosen tried to stand while the strong energy waves pushed her away. She felt invisible shards cut her skin, in the arms, legs and the face. Kermish's eyes gleamed with hate while he sent a stronger wave that blew away Colette, cutting her torso and giving more cuts in the face and the arms.

The Chosen fell and Kermish was panting while he looked the damage of the attack. He whipped his forehead and went to Slash and Scarv, which stilled unconscious.

"Master?", Slash asked. He never saw the true powers of his boss before and now he was thinking if that man was really a human being.

"Let us go. The villagers probably saw the little light show of hers.", Kermish murmured in a tone that indicate he wouldn't take questions about what just happened.

Kermish and his lackeys were surrounded by purple lights, until they turned into three small spheres that shot to the skies.

Colette couldn't do anything, but watch. She cannot move her body, maybe because of the dark energies that hurt her. Then she heard the villagers coming and it was all that she could hear before collapse...

* * *

AN: Just for who didn't notice, Slash and Shioru are the same person. Shioru is his true name and Slash is his "work name".


	8. Kermish Kuromachi

The things are getting interesting, aren't they?

In my opinion, after this chapter the true plot starts. So people, I wait you enjoy, cause I'm putting the best of me into the development of this fic's plot.

Thanks to all those who review until now, I still looking forward to get my writing better and better.

Without more delay, let's get this on.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Kermish Kuromachi**

Regal was sat in his office, checking the paperwork about the last activities of his company. That was the part he most hated in his job, stay there, doing nothing but read all that bills, numbers and graphics of sales.

_It's in days like this I wished I still have a journey to go..._, the president thought.

When he backed to take his place like Lezareno's president he had to negotiate with the King, the leaders of Sylvarant's cities and attend meetings with other influent nobles, such as Zelos, to earn support to the reconstruction projects. Now the things were calm and he just had to pay attention in what his company was putting its money.

George entered. Seeing that Regal was closing and opening his eyes, like if he was just to fall in sleep at the table. The vice-president annunciated himself:

"Master Regal, are you sure you want to stay wake up until this hour, revising the last documents of sales?", George asked and Regal suddenly got erected, trying to not show how that work was stressing and tiring.

"I have to George. I didn't do anything good to Lezareno since I was arrested and besides if I don't do this who will?", Regal asked in response.

George shook the head. He saw how his master was always trying to show that he could do something more for the company. Many employees referred to the president like "one of the Heroes", or "Heroic President". The titles seemed to annoy him, most by the fact that during his journey he didn't do anything for the company. It was almost like they were saying that he was just a representative figure.

Flipping trough the documents, Regal saw something that called his attention: an order for excavation machines in name of the company New World's Commercial Net.

_Strange... Kermish didn't say anything about his company make excavation explorations._

"Master Regal, is everything right?", George asked, seeing Regal's worried expression.

The president didn't answer, he just stayed looking at the document, like trying to discover if it wasn't a falsification. After some time Regal questioned:

"George, did the King authorized any new excavation activity without my acknowledge?", Regal asked, remembering that he and Zelos made the King sing an arrangement that said none excavation activity could be done without an analysis to certificate that the ground wasn't near to the Toizey Mine area or any other source of expheres.

"By what I know, no. Why?"

"There's a great order for excavation machines of great port. To someone did such order he have the intention to do a great excavation activity."

Regal imagined what that could mean and where the excavation could take place. _If new expheres are found, we can have trouble if they fell in wrong hands... Lloyd and Sheena can have trouble. _Regal stood and said:

"George, I need you to watch over Lezareno while I go. I have to clarify this matter..."

- - - - -

Sheena woke in a room that looked like a hospital room. She only could remember that she was transported back to the base and fainted due the pain and loss of blood.

A Renegade without helm and wearing a white coat entered and saw that Sheena woke. He talked with other Renegade at the door and this one went to the corridor. The ninja tried to get up from the comfortable bed where she laid, but the Renegade put his hand on her shoulder saying:

"You mustn't push yourself Lady Sheena. It was a great wound the one that you just got, if it wasn't for the exphere, I didn't think you would have the same luck.", said the doctor Renegade.

Before the summoner could reply, the door opened again and Lloyd and Yuan entered. Seeing Sheena was good, Lloyd smiled. He seemed that would hug her, but Yuan hold him by the shoulder and shook the head in signal that it was better he didn't do that.

"Are you felling better?", Lloyd asked, while the doctor was checking the curatives.

"Yeah. I will live, if it's what you want to know."

"You've got a really bad time against that rogue, it makes two days since we back.", Yuan said in his usual serious voice.

Sheena gave a surprised look to him and lowered the head. To she slept so much time it means that if Lloyd didn't interfered she would be killed.

"Hey! Don't talk like if she didn't try her best to recover the expheres.", Lloyd said, upset.

"I didn't say it. I'm just pointing that was good we came so quick to the base, otherwise she could have died."

Lloyd felt what Yuan said wasn't really a console, it was more like he said Sheena was a burden.

After retrieve the curatives, the doctor let Sheena stood. The ninja didn't said anything, she stilled remember what Shioru just said about all of that being because of her.

"By the way, did you know that rogue? I saw you saying something and he stoppde.", Yuan said, with a devious look on the face.

Sheena gasped, she wasn't ready to tell to them about Shioru. She just remained in silence. When Yuan seemed that was about to ask again, Lloyd interrupted:

"Yuan give her a break. If she doesn't want to tell us now she must have her reasons.", the swordsman said, Yuan shot to him an angry look. Sheena mentally thanked Lloyd to understand.

When they exited from the room, they met Denvir.

"Ah, I see that you woke. Good, because I have a new that can interest you two." Lloyd and Sheena looked to him with a curious look, Denvir continued. "Our Iselia agent just returned and said to us that the Chosen One was attacked."

Lloyd's and Sheena's jaw fell. The two friends then started to ask much questions at the same time, despair and worry was stamped on their faces.

"Hey, calm down! I don't have all the details, ok?", Denvir tried to calm them, uselessly.

"That must be the guys of that organization. If I just didn't let that guy defeat me.", Sheena said, almost saying the name of her ex-companion.

"No, it wasn't you. It's me who let they escape.", Yuan said. When Sheena was about to reply, Lloyd said:

"What's the matter who is the fault? We have to go there and see if Colette's right!", Lloyd said.

Sheena nodded, that discussion would take them to nowhere. Before they could go, Yuan pronounced:

"I'll go too.", Lloyd and Sheena looked to him, surprise could be seeing in their eyes. "What? I'm so guilt for what happened to her how you two."

"It's not this... did you just say you will came with us... without being a mission or something?", the female ninja commented like if she had just seen a miracle.

"Oh, shut up!"

- - - - -

By the time the trio arrived at Iselia, the lunch time had passed. They hurried to the Chosen's house and stormed by the door.

"What the...?", Phaidra asked, thinking that was an invasion. When she realized, Lloyd and Sheena started to make many questions about what happened. "Calm down, calm down. She's alright, if you want to see her you can."

Lloyd and Sheena sighed, relived. They went to Colette's room, on the second floor. Knocking in the door they heard an acquaintance voice saying:

"Come in."

The three companions entered and saw Colette sat on her bed, with many curatives by the face and the arms. The Chosen seemed surprised to see that Lloyd and Sheena came companied by Yuan.

"Oh, hi! How are you all?", she said with a smile, like they was just doing a normal visit.

"We're fine, but what about you? It seemed that you walked trough a thorn wall.", Lloyd said, trying to maintain himself calm, but Sheena didn't have the same success.

"Who made it to you? It's just you say that we will hunt him.", the summoner said.

Yuan just walked to Colette's bed and took a good look on her. Colette felt embarrassed to have the Seraphim analyzing her that way. After some time he said, in his usual controlled, serious voice:

"What type of magic did this to you?", Yuan asked, Lloyd and Sheena looked with interest too. In what was the Seraph thinking?

"Uh... I don't remember well... but I heard him saying something like 'Fear Flow' and..."

"It was darkness magic?", Yuan interrupted, Colette nodded. "Hum..."

The tension in the air increased, nobody talked, with fear of interrupt Yuan's process of thinking. After what seemed to be some minutes, Sheena asked:

"Are you hungry Colette?"

"Yeah, some of short.", the girl said, with a gentle smile.

"Ok then I will prepare something. I'm sure that Lloyd is too.", she said, followed by a snore coming from Lloyd's stomach. The boy in red gave a faint smile.

Sheena went to the kitchen, while Lloyd sat on Colette's bed and started to talk with her about how she was. Yuan sat in a chair in the corner, he stilled thinking.

After some minutes, Sheena came back with Frank, each one carrying two plates with her famous Curry with pineapple. She gave two plates to Lloyd and Colette, while Frank tried to give the other to Yuan, who refused, saying he didn't need to eat.

"Thanks Sheena, it's tasty.", Colette said.

"Ah, don't mention it."

"No you're really good. You should open a restaurant and serve it.", the blond girl said, Sheena blushed by the commentary.

After had end the meal, the silence came back, until Yuan ask:

"Do you know who attacked you?"

"Hum... one of them was dressed like a rogue, the other was a scary-looking lizardman. Oh and there was another one, I think they called him Kermish."

Sheena and Yuan gasped, but Lloyd just seemed to be confused. Yuan had now a worried look on his face, by own experience, Lloyd knew that couldn't mean good thing.

"This name sounds familiar, but I can't remember.", the Eternal Swordsman said.

"Lloyd, Kermish is that noble who was in the Princess' birthday party.", Sheena explained. Lloyd looked to her and blinked, still confused. Sheena sighed. "That jerk who don't shake your hand when Regal presented him to us."

Lloyd gasped, while Yuan rolled the eyes. Sometimes Lloyd's stupidly really got him annoyed. _Is_ _this__ really Kratos' son?_, he questioned sometimes.

"But why did he attack Colette? Do you think he work for that organization?", Lloyd asked. Yuan answered saying that the only way for they knew was to ask to Kermish.

"Then let's go. I remember that he stilled in Meltokio's castle when we leave the city.", Lloyd and Yuan nodded, Sheena turned to Colette. "Don't worry, we'll find him and put him down..."

- - - - -

The sunset in that afternoon bring the promised for a peaceful, moonless night. Slight irony of the nature.

In the balcony of the Princess' room, Kermish looked over all Meltokio. What emotion was in his eyes, it couldn't be described. It was more like he was waiting for something to happen. Then a noise came from his pocket.

He took a device that seemed much like the one Yuan used to communicate with Denvir, but this time a voice came out from it:

"Master, they're leaving Iselia with the Renegade leader just like you predicted. It seems they're going to Meltokio's way.", the voice said.

"Good work. I'll just finish my business here and leave.", without another word, Kermish turned off the device and pocket it while someone entered in the room.

Princess Hilda entered, Kermish asked to talk with her alone. By his tone the Princess thought that must be something very important.

"Did you want to talk with me?", the Princess asked

"Yes.", Kermish said, without turned to face her. After some silence he said. "It's indeed a beautiful land... Tethe'alla."

The Princess nodded even without understand why the talk began in that way. She questioned this when Kermish made a question again:

"I'm just thinking: did you know how Tethe'alla rediscovered the principles of the magitecnology? By what I know, this land wasn't the flourishing world, before the last chosen gave his life for this land."

"Well, they said that it was with the work of many scientists. But I don't know all the details."

Kermish murmured under his breath, Hilda asked what he just said, but the noble replied that it was nothing. Silence came again, the atmosphere was tense.

"Tell me, who did really control Tethe'alla when Cruxis ruled over this world?"

- - - - -

Sheena, Lloyd and Yuan landed their Rheairds at the front of the castle and stormed into the throne room.

"What the... Lloyd, Sheena? What's the meaning of this? And who is this one?", a confused King asked, pointing to Yuan.

"It's a long history, now where's Kermish?!", Yuan asked in a demand tone, not paying attention to an offended-looking King.

"He's with Hilda in her room. Wh...", before the King could end the question, the three heroes hurried to Hilda's room.

Still with a confused look, the King followed them...

- - - - -

"What do you mean? And why this...", Kermish made a signal with his hand to Hilda be quiet.

The blond man just saw Sheena, Lloyd and Yuan entering in the castle. He knew he got to be fast.

"All will be explained Hilda...", he then approached the Princess and waved his right hand in her front. A strange purple smoke appeared while Kermish did that movement, Hilda felt all her body soften and her senses turned off. "... but you don't need to be here when that happen."

Hilda fell to the floor. Kermish just watched and turned to the balcony, when a voice came from the door and when the blond magician turned he saw Zelos there, sword at hand, ready to attack:

"What did you make with the Princess?!", Zelos asked.

"She's right. Different from you.", Kermish stretched his arm and launched a dark ray on Zelos, who dodged.

The dark ray hit the wall of the corridor while Yuan and the others appeared in the portal.

"So, everybody is here...", Kermish said, with a smile, he turned to Yuan. "Hello Yuan, how is your life going now, without Yggdrasil around?"

Everybody looked to Yuan, who just drew his Shallow saber. How did Kermish know about Yuan and Yggdrasil?

Using the moment of distraction, Kermish stretched his two arms and chanted:

"Shadow Ball!", spheres of darkness shot from his hands.

Lloyd and the others drew their arms and quickly dodged the attacks.

"Don't let it hit you or it'll drain your mana!", Yuan shouted.

Lloyd used Demon Fang, but Kermish blocked the attack with a simple hand move. Zelos charged using Lightning Blade. His opponent avoided easily and punched him in the face. Kermish's hand glowed with dark energies at that blow.

Yuan then came to the attack, swimming his sword with great speed. Kermish used his hands to defend against the attacks, like Yggdrasil did, creating invisible, magic shields that deflected the attacks, but at the same time Kermish couldn't attack due the great speed of the attacks.

Sheena and Lloyd came by Yuan's sides, preparing to attack. At that moment, seeing that he was surrounded, Kermish then closed his eyes and a shiny circle appeared under him. Lights came from his back and in a flash he wasn't there, just when Lloyd's and Sheena's weapons were moving against the enemy.

Lloyd and Sheena stopped their attacks, when they were just to hit each other. They looked around to see to where Kermish went. When they looked to Yuan, the Seraph was looking to the roof with a mouth half-open, the two friends looked also and their jaws dropped.

Kermish was floating near the roof. From his back sprouted a pair of dark purple wings. The angel then flew to the balcony and landed near the glass door to it.

"What the...?", Zelos exclaimed, he couldn't believe in what he was seeing.

Kermish looked to everybody in the room, they showed a shocked and surprised expression in their faces. Kermish smiled at their expressions.

Lloyd, after recover from the initial shock, asked, returning to his fight stance:

"Who are you?"

"If you want so much to know I'll said. I'm Kermish Kuromachi, the ancient and true Chosen One of Tethe'alla!"


	9. The Ancient Chosen

Time to get some explanations about one of the characters background, so enjoy people!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of ToS characters or places, but I do own any OCs that appear here.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**The Ancient Chosen**

Lloyd, Sheena, Zelos and the King gasped. A Chosen One of Tethe'alla? How was that possible? Yuan didn't seem to be surprised by the news.

The King was near his unconscious daughter while watch all. Kermish smiled again at their expressions and used this moment to charge another spell.

Yuan, being the only one who wasn't with millions of questions running trough his mind, shouted to everybody take cover. Zelos noticed that the King didn't move and went to him, using Guardian, just in time.

"Bloody Lance!", Kermish unleashed the spell and dark swords came from nowhere and started to cut and rip all the furniture around the room, while the others used their defensive techniques.

At the end of the attack, Sheena went to Kermish again and started to attack. Like before, the ancient Chosen avoided the attacks and counter-attacked using kicks and punches, some of them Sheena defended, but the strength of the blows was intensified with dark energies, which flowed from Kermish's hands and feet, making Sheena moved back and leaving her guard open to another sequence of blows.

Kermish then blew away Sheena using a dark ray, which slipped and divided in multiple ones when hit Sheena's body. Lloyd tried to enter in the battle to help the ninja, but the evil Chosen One flapped his wings, producing wind blades that cut Lloyd's gut and arms, making the red swordsman stopped.

Yuan jumped in Lloyd's front, not with the intention to attack, but for prevented Kermish from harm them more. Seeing this, he used another energy ball, this one was red, to blow out the door to the balcony, creating an explosion that could be seeing from the city's gates.

Kermish turned to them one last time, an arrogant and almost psychotic smile played in his face.

"It was just too easy. No wonder how you defeated Yggdrasil.", with this, the Chosen flew trough the hole made in the wall. Leaving everybody behind with confused looks and many questions in their heads...

- - - - -

Some minutes before, Regal arrived at the city. The journey was fast since he had a Rheaird, only with stops to eat.

After greeted the guards at the gates, Regal went to the castle when he saw a great explosion that destroyed one of the balconies at the front of the great building. Someone was near the hole, someone with dark purple wings.

Regal stopped in his tracks when the figure flew trough the hole and he saw its face.

_What the...? Kermish?!_

When the angel disappeared into the nocturne skies, the President hurried to the room from where Kermish flew, which he knew to be the Princess' room. When he arrived there he saw the last people who he thought encounter that night.

"Lloyd, Zelos, Yuan? What happened here?", everybody turned to their friend who just arrived. Regal then saw Sheena, who was trying to stand, in the floor. "It seems that you all fight with Kermish and lose."

"Well, that was what happened bud.", Zelos said.

Yuan helped the King to move Hilda to the Royal Chambers, while the others waited at the Crismon Room. Yuan promised that he would tell to them, including the King, what had just happened and who Kermish really was.

While the four friends waited, Lloyd was helping Sheena to accommodate on the bed, while told to Zelos and Regal all what happened since Yuan called them to tell about this other new organization.

Zelos also told to them about his visit to Yuan on the Abbey and the battle with the giant sea-snake.

"So, do you thing that all of this can be related with Kermish and this organization?", Regal asked, but who answered this was Yuan, who entered when Regal made that question.

"Not just related, but Kermish seems to be the one behind all of this."

"What do you mean?", the King asked, he also was confused with all that happened.

Yuan said to they all sat before he continued, it seemed that would be a long story. After took a breath, the Seraph began:

"All began nearly eighty years ago, when the last Chosen one was to be take by the Cruxis and was discarded by being incompatible with Martel. The mana returned to this world and with this, like some of you must know...", Yuan glanced over the King. "The prosperity began and the development of light magitechnology was possible. A group of people was responsible for rediscovered the principles, between them the appointed Chosen of that age, Kermish, the son of the Chosen who went in that damned journey.

"Normally, it wasn't for a Chosen that would go in the Regeneration Journey to have kids. But, in the middle of the journey, Marlene, the last Tethe'allan Chosen that did the journey, met a man from Mizuho and fell in love for him. In that age, Mizuho wasn't so strict like it is today, in fact, they were honored by the Chosen One like of someone from the village. She spent some time there and when she found that was pregnant, she had to stop the journey.

"Mithos got nothing happy with the new that the Chosen had to stop the journey because she would have a children. Fortunately, Kratos and I convinced him to not pulverize the girl and leave she have the children. After this he could send an 'oracle' to say that she must return to the journey."

Everybody was paying so much attention to the story that was almost like they weren't even breathing. Even Lloyd didn't say anything. He remembered about what Kratos said to know his enemy so he could find about his weakness.

Yuan continued:

"At the time of three years, Kermish born and was trained by Mizuho's ninjas. Then the time for Marlene returns to the journey came so she had to abandon Kermish. The rest of her story you all can guess. When he entered in the adulthood, Kermish was a high ranked ninja from the village, but he decided to leave his house in Mizuho and went to Meltokio to begin his work like the new Chosen.

"He began by helping the scientist to develop the magitechnology, he was really good in that. Much of your actual projects about machines and robots couldn't exist without Kermish's discoveries. Among these discoveries one topic attracted much his attention, the field of the researches about the Summon Spirits and the power that could be extracted from their elements.

"Kermish started to think in what would happen if he could fuse two opposite elements to form a totally new element. Well, we all know that this is virtually impossible, but at that point Kermish started to research magic and discovered about his own powers and, by not having the appropriate supervision, he grew obsessive to know more magic and to show that he could be the greatest Chosen of ever."

The tension increased in the room, the story was drawing close to the climax. Lloyd and the others leaned their heads closer to hear better what Yuan would tell now.

"He started to research about the element of the darkness. He even took some shadow creatures to study. The research team, which he was part, went to Kermish's house on Meltokio to convince him to stop with those dangerous researches. Such unfortunate people, Kermish released the shadow that he captured to see how it adapted in light environments and when they arrived the shadow attacked them, sucking their mana to the death. Even after this 'accident' Kermish didn't stop."

"What?! How could he just continue to do that studies like nothing happened?", Lloyd interfered, it was as selfish as what Mithos tried to do.

"It's what happens when you get obsessive with something, Lloyd. Even if it causes deaths, you simple continued to search for what you're obsessive.", Regal answered in a wise tone.

Sheena also seemed to be shocked, she never imagined that a Chosen could be so selfish and greed by something. Even Zelos wasn't like that.

"May it be, Kermish then decided to research about the element of the light. Since Luna didn't exist in Tethe'alla, what were the most powerful creatures in this world that used light magic?", this time Zelos answered that obvious question.

"The angels of Cruxis."

"Exactly. He raided the tower in an attempt to encounter and, if possible, captured some angels. He ended up in Welgaia, while the angels were in their work stations and, seeing some of our computers, that idiot decided to enter in our data banks. The biggest mistake of all his life. He found the entire story about Yggdrasil and the two worlds. Of course, we detected the access and tried to take him, but Kermish avoided and backed to the tower. There he encountered his doom, on Yggdrasil's hands.

There everybody could guess what became of Kermish. Mithos wouldn't leave someone that knew Cruxis' secrets alive. Seeing they all could guess what happened Yuan just summarized:

"I arrived there when Yggdrasil was ready to finish with Kermish and so he does it, without any remorse. In that moment, I saw how boy that me and Kratos once knew and respected turned into a cold killer. While they locked Kermish's body in one of that coffins you saw in the tower, I swear that I would stop him.", Yuan clutched his fists at the memory. After that episode he started to put his idea of a resistance in practice.

"But if this Kermish guy was dead, how could he come back to life?", Zelos questioned.

"That's the great question here. I don't know about magic forces which could make people came back to live. Anyway, after Kermish's death, Cruxis used its influence to 'erase' his existence and the Desians destroyed all the documents about him. Some months after, they forged new documents, naming your grandfather to the charge of Chosen.", Yuan said, pointing to Zelos, who gasped.

Everybody looked to the red-headed Chosen with surprised, but the most surprised was the own Zelos. If it wasn't for Kermish's death then he would never be named Chosen, maybe he would never had born and his father and sister could live a normal life and his mother wouldn't have to marry with someone that she didn't love.

"Zelos, I can imagine in what you're thinking. But remember: what is in the past, is in the past. It won't make any good we think in what could have happened. All that we can do is to work for make a better future.", Lloyd said, in his so knew idealistic tone. Sheena couldn't help, but smile at one of the so inspiring Lloyd's speeches.

"Even I'm hating to have to say this, Lloyd is right." Yuan said. Lloyd shot a glance of "Hey!", to him. "Now the fact is, if Kermish unlocked his angel's powers he can be the leader of this organization. But I still don't understand what he wants with the expheres."

"Wait. You said that he was a high ranked ninja back in Mizuho, didn't you?", Sheena asked. Yuan nodded in response. "Then he could be the one who sabotaged our information network. My grandpa said that the positions of our agents and disguises didn't change so much these years."

Yuan looked to Sheena, surprised. He heard from Denvir that Mizuho seemed to be in trouble with their information network, but he couldn't imagine that it was sabotaged.

Now, thinking clearly, it was possible that Kermish, even without know the identity of the actual agents, could find them by the disguises and positions. Sheena gridded her teethes. If Kermish was the one behind that sabotage, she would make sure he would pay for that.

"And what about my daughter? What did he do to her?!", the King finally pronounced himself, making everybody in the room almost jumped of surprise. They forgot that the King continued there.

"Don't worry. Your daughter is fine. He just casted a sleep spell on her. I think an elven magician could dispel this or... the spell can be lifted if Kermish die."

"I came here to ask for your majesty if you authorized any excavation activity without my consult, but now I can see that you're just another victim in Kermish's blot. He must be using ghost companies to obtain resources to excavate more expheres. But even so, I feel responsible for not noticing this. Anything that he did with my company's equipment would be my responsibility.", the blue haired president said and turned to Lloyd and Yuan. "Would you allow me to come with you?"

The Eternal Swordsman immediately said yes at the end of Regal's question. In truth, Regal also missed the company of his friends, what for him was another motive to go with Lloyd and help stop Kermish, from did whatever he was trying to do.

"If the pops here will go, I will too. I can't let a bad guy like this on loose after what he done to the Princess.", Zelos said, in a tone that said he wouldn't accept a "no" as answer.

Sheena was ready to reply something, but before she could say anything Lloyd pronounced:

"Of course you can come. It'll be cool to have our friends traveling again with us. We will stop Kermish together!", Lloyd stroked his heroic pose.

Sheena and Yuan sighed. Sheena by the fact that she would have to travel with that pervert Chosen again and Yuan by thought that would be a long journey...


	10. Gathering the Party

Now it's time to see everybody of the gang.

Also here we have the formal presentation of another OC, possibly one of the most important OCs for the plot. So enjoy and let us have some action!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Gathering the Party**

The reconstruction of the Port City of Palmacosta couldn't be better. Most of the city was already restored, but the Lezareno Company had great plans to develop the city and make it bigger than it was before.

This project of development included to make a museum about Sylvarant's history: its role in the Ancient War and about the heroes who born and/or were raised in this land. Two Inns were already in construction and the Govern Building was almost restored.

To make that plans came into reality the Lezareno Company needed of many suppliers. Among these suppliers was a girl, which by coincidence was one of the heroes from the other land, who would have an especial part in the future museum.

Presea Combatir had had another common day of work, delivering the wood and helping the builders with heavy loads or in cut the logs in the right measure. It wasn't the type of job she wanted to do for all of her life, but she was the only survivor of Ozette that still knew where good wood could be find in that region.

_The important is that I'm being useful., _she thought, but even that thought wasn't helping her by now.

The city was ready to receive people and all the rest of the work would be to expand it. So what would she do now? She wasn't so necessary there anymore.

_I wish I could be with my friends. At least I wouldn't feel this loneliness._, she found herself thinking on that much often.

She missed her friends. She didn't saw any of them in this whole time, the job had consumed much of her time. She didn't even have news about some of them. The ax wielder knew that Genis and Raine were studying at Sybak, Regal was working in Lezareno, but she didn't have any idea about Lloyd and Sheena.

_That two must be enjoying each other's company..._, she thought.

Before she could reflect about any other thing, a man approached and gave her a letter. She asked of who it was from, but the man merely said that a messenger gave it to him pass to her. Presea read the letter:

_Presea,_

_There is something we want to tell to you that can find interesting._

_Encounter us at the old Palmacosta Human Ranch._

_Came quickly, 'cause lives can be at stake._

The letter then end. She read it twice, it didn't seem to be a joke, but it didn't sound safe also. What could then that mean?

Deciding that it could be at least interesting, she got her Gaia Cleaver ax and went to the city exit. Whatever it could be she could handle by herself.

- - - - -

A group of five Rheairds landed in Palmacosta's central plaza. Jumping from them was four more of the heroes who reunited the world. Much of the builders and architects around stopped their work to see the newcomers.

"Is this a convention of heroes and nobody warn us?", one of the architects played, drawing a laugh from the others.

Yuan seized the Rheairds on his Wingpack. They had made many stops to his taste. The first was on Zelos', to everybody rest, while he stood awake, claiming he wasn't tired. The second was in Altamira for Regal to warn George that he would go on that journey and explain the whole "Kermish" incident and the story about the excavation equipments. Then they went to Flanoir Base to Yuan decide what they would do and get some information. For the last, and this was the one that annoyed him the most, they stopped for Lloyd to eat something because he didn't stop to complain about the fact he hadn't lunch.

_This journey just began and I already have to hear this kid's complains! You will own me this Kratos._, Yuan thought.

"Why are we here again?", Zelos asked.

Yuan had already told to them that. He sighed and repeated what he said in Flanoir Base:

"To find that lumberjack friend of yours and to make she comes with us. Kermish could attack some of your friends in an attempt to bolster his number of exphere and to get rid of someone he knew can turn a problem later. If my sources aren't wrong, she must be around here delivering wood."

"It will be nice to see Presea again.", Lloyd said, Sheena nodded. They didn't hear much about what she was doing.

After search in the city for some time, Lloyd grew tired of don't see any sing of her. He decided to ask to some of the workers:

"Excuse me, did you see a girl with pink hair, carrying a big ax?"

"You mean that heroine girl Presea? She received a letter and went to Palmacosta Ranch.", the worker said.

Yuan gasped. A letter saying to she went to the abandoned Human Ranch couldn't mean good thing.

"Get on the Rheairds! We have to reach her!"

- - - - -

The Palmacosta Ranch was abandoned since it was destroyed. Few people got close to it and less even would try to see what they could found among the rubbles.

Presea was one of this people and now she was there to encounter the one who sent the letter. With her ax in hand, she called for anyone who could be there.

"So you've come here even knowing this could be a trap... you have guts girl.", a voice coming from the bushes spoke.

Then many armed men appeared from the bushes, surrounding Presea. Following by them, came a green lizardman.

"What... what is you?", Presea exclaimed, she never saw such type of monster.

"Now, now, didn't your parents taught to you that is rude to call the people by 'it'? Oh, I forgot, you don't have parents, did you?", the lizardman said. Anyone with less muscle would know that was unwise taunt Presea Combatir. "You're just a lonely, strange girl."

"'Strange'...? Did you look to yourself on a mirror?", Presea replied.

She didn't know why, but in the bottom of her heart that comment caused some pain. Presea ignored that pain and concentrated on the actual situation.

"Anyway, give us all the expheres that we know you have and maybe I won't tear you apart.", Scarv, the lizardman, demanded.

Presea looked surprised. How did they know she had found some expheres in the ruins of that very Human Ranch? She tried to think on a way to escape, but there wasn't any open on the blockage formed by the bandits and some of them held bows what would make any unthinking attempt of escape result in certain death.

Scarv got tired of wait and decided to take the expheres by himself. He would have succeeded, if in that moment some of his men weren't sent to the air by the cries of "Cyclone Seal" and "Beast".

Looking to the path that gave access to the main road, Scarv saw Lloyd and Regal coming and from his left came Sheena, Yuan and Zelos.

"You won't lay a finger on her!", Lloyd said, preparing to attack Scarv.

"Don't worry my little rosebud, the great Zelos came to save you from the grasp of this...", Zelos looked to Scarv, it was the first time he saw the lizardman. "Well, whatever he is."

"Grrrr... did you never get tired of stand in my way?!", Scarv snarled.

Before any of the bandits could prepare to the fight, Yuan showed his wings and flew in high speed against the bandits at the Human Ranch's gates. Following the lead, Lloyd and Regal went to the others at the right of the lizardman. For Sheena, Zelos and Presea was left Scarv himself.

Two minutes after, all the bandits were defeated, just remaining Scarv, who was dodging from the attacks of the other three heroes, without an open to counter attack. Eventually, he got hit by a combination of Infinite Destruction, Cyclone Seal and Super Lightning Blade.

"Gah! Ok, you can have these expheres, but it didn't end here!", with this last remark, Scarv ran away into the forest.

"You won't escape this time.", Yuan ran after Scarv, didn't paying attention to the "Wait!" of the others.

He caught the sing of Scarv and was getting close. The lizardman wasn't so fast and he would be easily caught up. If it wasn't for someone shout from the forest:

"Tidal Wave!", a great flood was created right in the back of Scarv, threatening to engulf Yuan.

The Renegade Seraph had to stop and use his magic barrier to defend against the great wave, which swallowed him. After some seconds the shield had gone and the flow got Yuan to the ground, but soon all the water had dried up.

The Seraph released his breath while Lloyd and the others came. Seeing that they were wet, Yuan presumed the flood also caught them.

"So you also took that."

"Yes, but we used our protective techniques, so the damage was reduced to minimum. Did you see the one who cast the spell?", Presea talked in her robotic way, she realized that and apologized to everybody. Yuan shook the head in answer of her question.

After the group had defeated Mithos, Presea recovered much of her emotions, but she stilled talking in that robotic way when she got too nervous about something or when she didn't know how to react in unexpected situations. When she did that, people looked to her like she was a freak or a really strange machine.

"By the way, why did you come to here?", Presea asked.

"We come to warn you that someone could try to take your exphere, but it seems that you already saw by yourself.", Regal said. "We also wanted to ask if you would mind to join with us and help us to stop the one who is gathering the expheres. If you don't want, then just let us take you to a safe place."

At Regal words Presea smiled, a rare smile that she gave just in few occasions. She was waiting for something like that to happen, but highly doubted that would happen: her friends came and ask for her to join with them in a new journey.

_Maybe it wasn't so pointless to hope that this happened._, Presea thought.

"Of course I will join you. I'm actually not so much necessary here anymore, so I will assist you in this new task.", the lumberjack girl said in a middle robotic and happy voice.

"Ok then. Zelos, you told to her all the last happenings for she to know who we're dealing with. Now let's search for other two members before Kermish can have a chance to steal their expheres.", Yuan said while backing to the main road, ignoring the glare that Zelos sent to him of "who are you to boss me?".

Sheena imagined who would be this time and remembered of everybody who was in their group she found who could be this two that Yuan referred...

- - - - -

Genis and Raine were in the plaza of Sybak, which was almost empty due the vocations. While the young half-elf looked to the new products in the stores, with Merilius at his side, his sister was in the library, checking the last books that arrived.

The sunset was coloring the western skies of orange and red. Merilius looked to that with a thoughtful expression in his face, like he was reflecting about something. Genis noticed that and asked:

"Merilius, is there something bothering you?"

The adult half-elf seemed to snap out of his thoughts. He just putted a smile in his face, saying that everything was right.

Raine came out of the library at that exact moment a group of familiar people arrived. The two half-elf siblings seemed surprise to see that were more people in the group then the last time they visited them.

"Lloyd, Presea, Regal and...", Genis paused, looking to Zelos, and continued. "Why are you all reunited? Something happened?"

"Glad to see you too brat.", Zelos said, noticing that he was ignored.

"We came to get you two.", Lloyd said. Seeing their confused expressions he explained. "It's a long history so I will resume: someone is trying to gather all the expheres and is after of ours. So Yuan decided that would be good if we all get together and fight against him."

Genis was speechless by all the information while Raine wear a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I know that it's sudden and you have a job here and all, but it's for your security. Kermish have agents in everywhere and...", Sheena said, but in that moment she was interrupted by much things happening at that same moment.

"YOU!!", Yuan shout while quickly drew his Shallow saber and jumped to cut Merilius in two, who dodged the attack with the same speed, surprising everybody around.

Lloyd and the others gasped, while Genis seemed that will have a heart attack. He then asked the only question that he could pronounced at that moment:

"What you think you're doing?! He's my friend!", the half-elf boy said with an indignant tone.

"He's not your friend!", Yuan said, while stilled in his fight stance and pointed his double-edged sword to Merilius. "He's a spy! Probably sent by Kermish to watch you. He's the one who stealth the expheres from the Renegades!"

Shock and surprise ran trough the face of every member of the group, but no one was more surprised than Genis. Merilius showed a serious and unreadable expression in his face, like he was just analyzing the scene.

"Is... is that... true Merilius?", Genis asked. Merilius sighed before answer.

"I think there isn't any point to maintain the secret anymore...", saying this, the adult half-elf took off the glasses and the laboratory garb, reveling under it a marine-blue and white shirt with draws and lines in gray. He also put two shoulder-armor with a dark-purple cape attached to it. In his chin was a golden and white sheath. He looked like a knight. "I'm Merilius Ishtar and yes, I was sent to spy you Genis and extract any valuable information from you about your friends."

Merilius said all that maintaining a serious face, like his job didn't please him in anything or like it was just a routine to him. That emotionless answer was what most annoyed Lloyd and Genis.

"So you deceived me!", Genis said, with tears falling from his eyes, but it wasn't tears of sadness, it was tears of hate.

"I won't deny that I do. But, in first place, I do this because you steal..."

"ENOUGH OF LIES!!", Genis shot fire balls on Merilius, who easily dodged and now seemed surprise for the sudden reaction, like Lloyd and the others (including Yuan). "I'm tired of getting betrayed like this by my own kind. I'm tired of have my half-elven friends turning into my enemies...", in each word more and more tears fell from Genis' eyes. He started to chant a spell. "If I can't have any half-elven friends because I have human friends or because I didn't let we have that stupid Age of Lifeless Beings then I don't need of any half-elven friend! EXPLOSION!!"


	11. Shattered Trust

Time to see how Genis will react by the revelation that another of his "friends" is in truth his enemy, but by the last chapter I think you already can guess out what will come.

This chapter wasn't much of easy to write, so I want to apolize beforehand by any grammar or spelling mistakes you can encounter.

Enjoy the reading and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own ToS or anything about it, just Kermish, Merilius, Scarv, Shioru and any other OCs.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Shattered Trust**

Everybody stood in their positions, surprised, while the giant, concentrated fire ball fell from the skies. Merilius also looked and in a desperate attempt to protect himself he ran.

The ball then hit the ground, burning all in the range of the explosion field. Some artifacts of the salesman near were totally destroyed. Luckily nobody was hit by the magic.

Merilius stood, seeing the destruction caused by the potent spell. He looked back to Genis and his friends, who were surprised by the power that was put on the attack.

"'You're tired of getting betrayed by our own kind'? Sorry, but I don't have anything to do with..."

"Silence!", Genis shout. "You're just like him! Just like Mithos..."

Genis spoke in a low tone, full of venom and hate, like if the very memory of his former "friend" was sufficient to make him shake of hate. Lloyd wanted to say anything to calm him down, but he just couldn't think in something to say.

"So you still upset because the only friend that you have of your own race betrayed you. Are you so angry to revive this same situation that you want to inflict your anger at me?", Merilius talked, with an analyzing look in his face, like he was just trying to understand what the whole situation meant to Genis. "Well, if you want to get revenge upon me I won't run, but also I won't just stand here and be your punch bag. If you're the victim like you say, show to me that you haven't done anything to deserve this."

Merilius stood in battle position, but he didn't draw any weapon, what could mean only one thing: it was a magic duel. Genis seemed some confused with his words, but quickly recovered and stood in a fight stance as well.

The wind blew, but none of them moved. They waited to see what would be the first spell the other would cast. Genis started.

Quickly speaking the words he casted Thunder Blade. Merilius jumped to side and rolled, avoiding the blade and the following shock. Quickly recovering, the older half-elf casted Flame Lance. Lloyd gasped and tried to go help his friend, he knew that Genis didn't have enough reflexes to dodge from attacks. Yuan stopped him and when he shot an indignant look the Seraph said:

"This is his battle. If you interfered he will never forgive you.", Yuan said in a short, direct tone.

Lloyd recognized the truth in Yuan's words. If he interfered then he would be the one that Genis would hate. He and the others then watch. Instead of run, Genis started to charge another spell.

With the flaming sword drawing close, everybody held their breath, waiting for the magic hit its target. Genis casted:

"Spread!"

A water spring formed in the front of the little half-elf and rose. Genis used all his concentration to control the direction of the water spring and made it hit the flaming blade. When the two magic hit each other great clouds of steam were produced and fell to the battlefield.

Merilius couldn't see anything in his front, but he felt a mana concentration, indicating that Genis was chanting another spell. Before he could react, the clouds dispersed and Genis casted:

"Stalagmite!"

A great pointed rock came from the ground, hitting Merilius and sending him to the air. Without wait the opponent land, Genis prepared a high level spell.

Lloyd and the others stood behind, watching the clash between the two skilled mage without believing how Genis counter-attacked the spell casted against him. Yuan was the only who didn't seem so impressed with the battle, maintaining his serious pose.

When Merilius landed, after had recovered in mid-air, he was catch by Genis' Cyclone spell, which lifted him and started to slash his body with powerful wind blades. At the end, he fell to the ground, knelling and panting.

Against any prediction, Merilius prepared and casted Air Blade. Genis used Stalagmite again, but this time, the great rock came at the young warlock's front. When the wind spell encountered the solid rock, it was destroyed, launching pebbles to everywhere.

The half-elven spy looked to his ferocious opponent and tried to cast again.

"Time to end this. Earth Bite!", Genis casted again, without gave to Merilius the chance to attack.

The fusion between Spark Wave and Grave hit Merilius and bind him in a rock dome. Genis started to pant, he used much of his mana to increase the power of the spells. Silence fell to the city's plaza.

Then cracks started to form in the rock dome. In the next second the earth prison exploded with a bright shine, in the middle stood Merilius, who now seemed really tired.

Genis approached of the fallen opponent and stopped some meters near him. Merilius looked to Genis panting and asked:

"Aren't you...puf wanting your vengeance upon me...? So... now is your...puf chance."

"I already took me revenge. If I kill you, I'll just go down to the level of guys like you. You lost and I won, that's all. Now get out!", Genis turned away, leaving an impressed look Merilius behind. But, when he was half way to his true friends, a shout of "Shadow Ball" was heard and Genis saw a dark sphere coming to him.

Lloyd and the others gasped again, while Yuan quickly stood in Genis' front and use his double-edged saber to cut the magical sphere, but instead of the darkness magic split in two it attached to Yuan's weapon and started to slip to his hand. Yuan threw his weapon at moment when the darkness veil was to touch in his hand. When the magic didn't found anything with mana it dissipated.

Looking back to Merilius, everybody saw Kermish near him with his dark-purple wings at open. The ancient Chosen was with his arrogant smile in the face while talked with his spy:

"So, you lost to a mere boy. By the way that you talked I thought that you were different from my other servants.", Merilius didn't answer, instead he just glanced over Kermish. "Well, anyway...", Kermish looked to Genis and the others, Genis and Raine were with a shocked look. "This victory means nothing. I already have enough information about all of you, thanks to Merilius here."

The older half-elf looked away from his master, like he didn't want to receive any credit for his task. Kermish had noticed it and said:

"Let's go Merilius, I have something that I want to discuss with you.", with that last sentence a magic circle appear under Kermish and his servant. They turned in energy balls that shot to the skies, disappearing from the sigh of a very confused and shocked group of heroes.

- - - - -

"So, this Kermish is an ancient Tethe'alla's Chosen One that somehow manage back to life and now are collecting expheres.", Raine reflected, after Yuan had told to her about Kermish. "But what could he want with the expheres?"

Sheena and Zelos shrugged, Regal and Yuan remained silent. That was the main question: what were Kermish's objectives with the expheres?

"I'm sorry that our arrival here caused such trouble to you, Genis and the people of the city.", Regal said, remembering the state the magic duel left Sybak's central square.

"No, you don't need to apologize, Regal. It was inevitable that this would happen, I just felt sorry for Genis."

"Yeah. Being betrayed by his own kind twice isn't a thing that you can stand. I mean, I know how this is. It was like I felt when Kuchinawa and...", Sheena stopped, almost letting Shioru's name escape. Luckily everybody was distracted, thinking about Kermish.

After they had come back to the student's quarters, Raine and Genis started to pack their belongings. The half-elven siblings knew they couldn't stay in the city, not just for the damages of Genis' duel against Merilius, but also because now they knew how powerful the enemy was and they could put the city in danger in the case of Kermish backed.

Lloyd and Presea were helping Genis to pack his things and trying to get him calm, while the others helped Raine. Yuan was taking her clothes from the wardrobe when he noticed something strange in the bottom of the furniture. Checking, he found that was a fake bottom and behind this was the strangest staff that he ever saw.

Taking it, he passed his hand trough the weapon. It wasn't made of any material that he knew and he could almost felt it like a skin.

"Oh, I see that you found where I guard the Heart of Chaos.", Raine said, taking the weapon from Yuan and guarding it in one of her suitcase.

"Heart of Chaos?", Yuan asked, he never heart about a weapon with this name, even considering the cursed ones.

"One of the nine Devil's Arms. Don't tell me that you never heard about them before."

Yuan shook the head, wondering what Raine was talking about. He would remember, if he had seen a weapon like that.

Seeing the confused expression of the Seraphim, Raine thought that was strange that his group never crossed with these weapons before.

Meanwhile, in Genis' room, the young half-elf was throwing his clothes in the suitcase with such violence that Lloyd and Presea didn't dare to try to help him.

"Why they...", another pant flies to the suitcase. "always thought...", a yellow shirt passed flying by the room. "that I'm the easier...", a bad-aimed cloak hit Lloyd on his nose. "to deceive?!"

Genis tried to shut his suitcase, but by the way the clothes were spread inside, it was obvious that it would never shut. With a groan of "dammit", Genis went to the window and looked to the city. Presea and Lloyd, who threw the cloak aside, just looked to him in silence. After what seemed hours, the young warlock talked:

"Is there something wrong with me?", before any of his two friends could ask why he said that, Genis questioned again. "Is there something wrong with what I'm doing? Is it because I have human friends, is it?"

Genis' eyes were wet with tears of hate again, he just wished to understand why. Lloyd then decided to speak:

"Of course there isn't anything wrong with you. If there's something wrong, it's with this Merilius guy. And it's not like the world is against you or something, he could have choose any of us."

"Lloyd's right. Any of us could be the one deceived by him. It's not like he choose you because you're the weakest of us or you're the most ingenuous.", Presea said, trying to point that the choice was random.

Genis stood quiet, trying to absorb the truth in his friend's words. He started to ask to himself why he got so pissed off with Merilius' betrayal. The answer then come: because he thought that he finally found a friend of his own race. Was it so wrong he thought that he could have half-elven friends?

"Genis whatever you're thinking, nothing of this is your fault. Kermish is the one who is trying to get us. So, if there's someone to blame on is him.", Lloyd said and Presea nodded.

Genis sighed and looked back to his friends, saying:

"I know, you're right. Sorry for act like this. I think I need of a time to think in all of this. But, I doubt I'll be able to trust in a half-elf again. I don't think I'll stand being betrayed again.", he said in a cold tone.

"Genis...", Presea approached and hugged her friend, trying to comfort him.

Nothing was said by some time, until that Lloyd decided to leave the two alone and said:

"I'll see if Raine already packed up her things.", the Eternal Swordsman whispered.

Quietly leaving the room, Lloyd encountered Sheena in the corridor. They went to Raine's room while talked:

"How is him?", Sheena asked, concerned. She and Genis weren't the closer friends, but she had a great respect for the boy and his sister.

"I think he will be fine, but I don't know if he will be able to trust in a half-elf again. This thing with Merilius really hurt him.", Lloyd opened the door. Raine and the others inside heard his last sentences.

"He just needs to be alone by some time to think. Believe in me, I know for personal experience. If he wants company he'll ask.", Yuan said.

The rest of the preparations for Raine and Genis' move were made in silence. The group decided to don't talk about that happening for the rest of the day.

Without anybody notice, inside one of Raine's suitcase, came strange sounds, like if a heart was pulsing...


	12. Smashing Metal

Thanks for reading people!

I know the mood of the story is getting some of dark since the last chapter. There will be some chapters and fights to lighten it. Also there's much surprises save to the next chapters, taking the story to a new level (in my humble opinion).

Now let's get on the road with the show!

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Smashing Metal**

After had helped Genis and Raine to organize their things in the Triet Base, Lloyd and Sheena left to Iselia to take Colette while the others were in the base, trying to retrieve Genis from his depressed mood.

It wasn't necessary too much persuasion to convince Colette, Phaidra and Frank that was the better for her safety as well as Iselia's. While the three friends exited from the village, Lloyd explained to her all that happened since they discovered the truth about Kermish.

When the three arrived in Triet Base, they went to Yuan's office. There Denvir came with a report that sounded bad. Lloyd and the others asked what was and the Renegade leader answered:

"It seems that eighty percent of the expheres were already collected by Kermish. That organization of him acts quicker than I thought. And our spies spotted what seems to be a huge army of robots in Gaorachia Forest. It seems they're going in the direction of Mizuho."

Everybody gasped. Mizuho stilled repairing their information network, they must be totally unprepared for an attack of an army. Raine, who calmed first, asked:

"Do you think it's Kermish?"

"It must be. The robots are Perfect Murders and Knuckle Hammers versions, Cruxis' technology. I can't think in anybody else that have knowledge about this technology."

"Then let's go there and transform that pile of rusty metal in trash.", Lloyd said.

Yuan shook the head, replying:

"By what the report, there's far too many of them. Even if we all fight together we can't possible eliminate all of them, there's only one way. Sheena, your people was readying to move before this trouble with the information network, no?", Yuan asked, looking over Sheena.

"Yeah. They will notify me when they're ready."

"Then I think it's time to they do their move. Tiga asked us to check the local that they choose, and it couldn't be a better, safe location. I'll send some of my men to help them pack up their belongings, while another group distracts the robots and delays their advance. If everything goes right, we can save all Mizuho's population."

Everybody nodded at Yuan's plan and went to their rooms to get weapons and prepare for the battle...

- - - - -

A messenger came to the meadow in the forest where Yuan and the others waited for the robotic army. After had passed a quick report, the messenger went to Mizuho's direction and Yuan communicated to the group of heroes:

"Mizuho started to move, but they'll need time to get everything in the ECs. We have to buy them this time.", Yuan communicated in a general-like voice.

Tension was around the group, while they waited for the enemy to arrive. When sounds of mechanical steps were heard they prepared to whatever came from the woods.

The robots then appeared. They didn't seem like the yellow ones that guarded the Tower of Salvation, but they had the same weapons equipped. When the war machines spotted Yuan and the others they shot missiles, bullets and any other ammo they had.

The ones of the group that had angel's wings showed them and flew to the battle, while the others ran. Luckily none of them got hit by any of the shots and started to attack the nearest robots. The machines behind tried to hit them with their mechanical arms, but the targets were too quick and the robots only had success in hit their companions.

Sheena enchanted the group's weapons to inflict lightning damage, what made some of the robot's weapons to get in short-circuit. Lloyd slashed his Material Blades in any metal thing that moved, the magic on the blades was sufficient to melt and break the armors.

The other members of the group attacked with either accurate hit, powerful magic and strong blows. Soon much robots were in the ground and their operators ran, but more continued to come. These new ones seemed smarter then the others, they hit some shots on Lloyd, Sheena and Yuan, the quickest of the group.

Colette was flying in the top of the threes, using branches and leaves as shields and covers, throwing chackrans, Para Balls and angelic magic on the opponents below. When she saw that Lloyd and the others got hit and more robots were approaching she started to chant Judgment.

Before the blond Chosen could end the spell a mechanical claw shot from the middle of the army, grabbing and pulling her to the front of a robot.

The Chosen One of Sylvarant tried to break the mechanical claw, but when its owner saw it, he sent a strong electrical flow trough the claw, electrocuting Colette and making her got unconscious. Releasing the Chosen, the robot prepared to smash her with its feet.

Yuan, who was hit by a Knuckle Hammer and the laser of a Perfect Murder, was also in the ground and saw Colette out of cold and a robot ready to smash her. With incredible speed, he flew, avoiding all the robots and taking the Chosen when the Perfect Murder was with its feet going towards her.

Ascending to the tree's top, Yuan saw the situation below: Genis was surrounded by robots and without chance of cast Indignation or any other spell in all of them. Raine was in the same situation and couldn't saw if the others needed of her help. Sheena was also surrounded, but made a break trough the blockage when summoned Volt. Zelos and Lloyd achieved to avoid being over numbered by the robots by flying. Presea and Regal was back-to-back battling against great numbers.

_We can't continue on this way.,_ Yuan thought.

"Lloyd, Zelos! We have to fall back!", the Seraph shouted to the other angels of the team, while Colette started to awake. He shouted to Genis. "Genis, create a distraction!"

Genis nodded and started to chant to strongest spell he knew:

"Infinite power, give me thy strength! Meteor Storm!"

Great rocks fell from the skies. It hit great number of robots, transforming them in piles of smashed metal and flying pieces. Some tried to escape, but they were too much slow to do it. Lloyd and the others took advantage of the distraction and fled to the forest border.

There they could see the last of Mizuho's people and ninjas exiting from the city, aided by the Renegades. Seeing them, one of Yuan's soldiers went to his leader to communicate:

"Sir, we already evacuated the last of the village's house. We now only need to aboard them on the ECs.", the Renegade informed.

"Excellent.", Yuan nodded and the Renegade soldier turn back to aid the caravans. "We need to delay them by some more time. Genis could you use your magic to create a trench?", Yuan asked.

In that moment, Sheena remembered about something that stilled on the village. How could have she forget to bring it with her when the Renegades called? If that fell in wrong hands, something terrible could happen.

"Wait here, I remember I left something in the village.", ignoring the others' protests that they should be together, Sheena ran to Mizuho.

The former Mystical Village was desert, everybody really left.

_At least one worry less.,_ Sheena thought, going to the chief's house. There she looked at the floor, searching for a plank that was unleveled.

She encountered the plank and used all her might to remove it. Underneath it was bare land and there lied the Gates of Hell, the Devil's Arms seal cards. Sheena took it and left, but when she exited the house the female ninja heard footsteps and voices, two familiar voices.

"See? I told to you master Kermish, we don't have to fear Mizuho. They're as pathetic as in your time. Just look how they fled this place when they heard that we will attack."

"I see. But even so, we cannot have threats or obstacles in our way. Nothing must stop us from forge...", the figures of Kermish and Shioru approached. When the former Chosen One spotted Sheena he immediately stopped what he was talking and changed the subject. "Oh. What do we have here? It seems that not all the Mizuhans are cowards."

Sheena looked to the two, while trying to hide the Gates of Hell. The last thing they needed was to Kermish know about the cursed weapons. Shioru broke the silence:

"Well, Sheena. Won't you give the greetings to an old friend that came back to home?", the rogue said, wearing his mocking smile.

"So, you two are responsible for this attack?", Sheena drew her other cards while asking.

"Well, it was part of my deal with Shioru. In exchange for his services I would help him on his revenge upon this village and you. But you all are so pathetic that I'm starting to have pity on you. No wonder how easy was to disable your information network. And to think that I used to live here. Well maybe now they'll learn to listen to me.", Kermish said.

Sheena felt her blood boiling at the ancient Chosen's words. So it was really him who sabotaged Mizuho's information network.

"You will pay for this!", Sheena shout, anger pulsing through all her body.

"Oh, I'm so scarred. You don't have idea of the powers that I have on my side girl. I can easily vanquish your existence from this world, but I'll let Slash handle this. After all, it was part of our deal." Kermish turned to the village's exit, before said. "Slash, end with this quickly. I'll hold her friends. Bring the body after you finish, we still to have to remove the exphere."

Showing his wings Kermish flew to the village's entrance, leaving Sheena and Shioru alone. Shioru drew his weapons and stood in a fight stance.

"It's time for you to have your punishment for your crimes Sheena.", the rogue said.

"I already atone for Volt accident, Shioru. I feel sorry for the pain I caused to you, but it doesn't justify what you've done against the village.", Sheena also stood in a fight stance. She could saw anger twisting Shioru's face.

"Feel sorry and atone for it? You killed my parents and my brother, you should be the one banished from the village, you disgrace!"

Shioru was almost fuming when he launched himself to attack Sheena. The female ninja used her cards to create barriers against Shioru's fierce attacks. The attacks were stronger and she noticed that now he was using an exphere.

Jumping to avoid another attack, Sheena said:

"I understand your pain. I've paid for the pain I caused. But don't try to put the blame on me for the mistakes that you make. You're the one who sold Mizuho's secret information for dealers, not me."

"Oh, just look who say it, Igagury's favorite girl. Those idiots should have locked or executed you for what you've made. But no! She's just a girl, she hadn't the intention to do this.", Shioru said, in a bad imitation of Igagury's voice tone.

"Still using this as an excuse... I though that you will learn and take the responsibility for your actions, it seems I was wrong."

Sheena now started to attack Shioru with great speed and strength, don't leaving to him the chance to counter. She would show to him that she had nothing to do with his choices and mistakes...


	13. Setting Scores

Man, I'm feeling so inspired by these days that I simply can't stop of write. Maybe I was bit by that written bug (I think this the term you use, no?)!

So let's get with the fight between Shioru and Sheena, so she can kick his ass by being an idiot that don't recognize his own mistakes.

Next chapter we will have a Shelloyd moment, so have papient, cause I'll update as soon as I can!

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Setting Scores**

Lloyd ran to Mizuho with Raine on his side. They left the others holding the robot army as much as they could. They could saw the robots falling in the trench that Genis made using Ground Dasher.

Colette offered to help too, but Lloyd said she was more necessary there. Yuan stated that was true and after Lloyd said he would be fine he ran.

When the village was in their sigh, they also spotted a familiar figure, whose presence they knew couldn't mean good thing.

"Kermish, get out of the way!", Lloyd said in a hurry, while drew his weapon and Raine readied her staff. Kermish chuckled.

"Always jumping in the front when your friends are in danger... you're so predictable, Lloyd.", Kermish said in a monotonous voice, but with a smile in his face.

Lloyd almost asked how he knew about that, but then he remembered: Merilius learned that from Genis and obviously told to Kermish. Hearing the sounds of battle far away, Lloyd realized he didn't have too much time. He jumped to attack the ancient Chosen.

Raine casted Barrier and Sharpness, enchanting Lloyd's defense and attack, but the Eternal Swordsman missed every attack against the ancient Chosen. Preparing a light spell Raine didn't notice Kermish teleporting to her front.

Kermish punched her in the face using dark energies that burned lightly her cheek and made she flew some steps away. Lloyd charged again, trying to use Sonic Thrust with the Vorpal Blade, but Kermish dodged and caught the icy blade. Without caring about the chilling sensation on his left hand, Kermish punched Lloyd with the same dark energy he used against Raine.

The swordsman didn't leave his ground due the effect of Raine's defensive spell, although he felt a burning sensation when the fist connected his face. Seeing this, Kermish used a sequence of kicks and punches that resembles to Lloyd the martial arts that Sheena showed to him when they trained in an afternoon. Each blow was charged with dark burning energies.

Lloyd almost passed out when Kermish hit in the stomach, making him lose the air. In a blink of eyes, the dark mage teleported to Lloyd's back and held him by the shoulders, lifting him with ease.

"Dark Fire Seal!", dark flames came from Kermish's hands and hit all extension of Lloyd's body. The sensation was almost the same when he fought with Efreet and the Summon Spirit used Flames of Victory on him, but this time the flames weren't just burning his skin, they were also draining his energies.

Lloyd fought against the weakness and the pain. He knew if he was a normal human he would either die from the live draining or be burned alive. A voice shouted when Kermish let him go:

"Healing Circle!", Raine casted the healing spell, making Lloyd's energy back.

Strangely, Lloyd's burns weren't cured. Raine guessed that must be because of the dark energies Kermish used.

_Magic that mix darkness energies can make wounds that cannot be cured by any normal healing spell._, Raine mentally recited, remembering what she read about dark magic in a book. They had to end that fight quickly, before both of them get too much wounded...

- - - - -

Sheena and Shioru hit their weapons for the hundred time. Both changed between attack and defense, but Sheena was the one getting more terrain in the fight.

Shioru couldn't believe that was the same girl that he used to win against, her level of experience was too high from what he remembered.

Sheena landed another hit in Shioru's arm with her seal cards and chanted:

"Serpent Seal!", Shioru started to fell his arm getting heavy, like he was wearing an iron glove.

Ignoring the sensation, he jumped back and threw one of his curved blades on Sheena, who used her cards to defend, while he ran and jumped to take the weapon.

_Still falling in this trick, hu weakling?_ he thought, preparing to deliver the blow that would started to sequence of blows for what his family was known.

Before Shioru could hit his target, Sheena quickly took one smoke bomb and threw in the ground. Shioru couldn't see anything when the distraction weapon released its smoke, he just felt his blades cutting through nothing.

Looking around, Shioru tried to spot Sheena, without success. Then he heard a voice calling from his back:

"Searching for me?!", when the former ninja looked behind he was hit by a punch in the right side of his face, followed by a round kick in the face by the left, a hit of Power Seal Absolute in the chest and Cyclone Seal.

At the end of the sequence, Shioru landed with a thud on the ground. Standing and jumping back, he started to pant while looked to his opponent, now visible by the clouds that dispersed.

"I'm sure you never saw the Blind Blow style before. Tiga taught it to me some years ago. You were a great ninja Shioru. I lived all that years after the incident just hearing about your successes in the missions.

"Tiga even thought about naming you to become the next chief in case of Igagury never woke again. But you threw all away. You threw your life away just because of this stupid vengeance. Say, is this vengeance so important that you would ruin your own life for it?", Sheena asked.

Back before she would never ask something like that. She would even think that she deserved, but after being forgiven and saw what revenge really meant and did (some, thanks to a certain boy in red), she saw that would solve nothing.

"You'll never understand what I..."

"No, you're the one who don't understand!", she interrupted him. She already knew that "you don't understand how I feel" speech. "If you kill me, this won't bring your parents and your brother back, it'll just begin a new hate and a new revenge. It's a vicious circle. Kill won't solve anything, like die won't solve anything. It's easy to hate, but if you forgive it'll prove that you're better than the one who murdered your family."

There was a silence after Sheena's speech. Then Shioru said, recovering his mocking tone:

"That was the stupidest thing I ever heard. Where did your hear it, or rather, who is the jerk that say it?"

Sheena's blood started to boil at those words. She drew her cards another time and went to Shioru in high speed, who realized that he committed the biggest mistake of all his life. He tried to stand, but too late. She hit him with such ferocious sequences of attacks, the rogue didn't have time to react or move.

Sheena ended the attack with a Pyre Seal that was strong enough to send Shioru flying to the nearby stream. The former ninja was bleeding at the end of the blows in his face.

"Never... never insult him again.", Sheena whispered to an unconscious Shioru.

Giving the back to her more than defeated opponent, she walked some steps, until felt something in her back. A familiar voice came behind, confirming her suspects:

"Well, you defeat him. Now let me give your prize.", Kermish said and Sheena felt a concentration of mana in her back. That peculiar mana, she knew, belonged to Kermish's Shadow Ball magic.

"No. Let _me_ give your prize!", when Kermish shot his darkness magic Sheena jumped above the ancient Chosen's head, dodging the Shadow Ball.

Kermish was caught off guard by the sudden action. Before he could react Sheena drew a small dagger from her obi, the dagger that her grandfather gave to her the day she completed the ritual and became the next chief, and cut Kermish's back with it.

Shining energies and sparks came from the dark mage's wound, while he shouted of pain. Sheena looked with surprise, she knew that dagger was sharper enough to cut trough even iron armor, but she didn't expect that type of effect. It was like the dagger had some type of spell that was causing to Kermish great pain.

Kermish fell to his knees, while the sparks of those shining energies ran through all his body. Sudden, he shot a glance of pure hate and anger at the female ninja that startled her.

"You just signed your will girl!", the energies started to disappear at his words, being replaced by a flow of pure power. Too late Sheena noticed Kermish put his hands in the ground and sent energies trough it and this energies were concentrating beneath her. "Suffer Well!"

A magic circle appeared beneath the summoner and a powerful flow of dark energies shot from the ground, involving her. She could felt the magic piercing her flesh, like thousands of arrows that came from the ground, while her mana was being drained at great speed. Cuts appeared in her arms, belly, face and legs.

The summoner looked to Kermish and then she thought that magic was starting to pierce her brain also. Involving the ancient Chosen was a big shadow with red bright eyes. She couldn't saw if it was human or a monster, but she could felt a strange mana flowing from the shadow to Kermish and then to magic circle beneath her.

Kermish seemed to delight with her expression of fear and pain. He could have success in killing Sheena if it wasn't for Raine and Lloyd that arrived at that moment and casted:

"Photon!"

Light runes and a magic circle hit the dark mage, interrupting his concentration and the spell. Sheena saw the dark shadow disappear in the moment the light spell hit Kermish and fell to her knees, panting.

Lloyd ran to her side and drew his swords, Raine also stood prepared to cast another spell. Kermish looked to the three heroes and when he looked to the entrance of the village he spotted the others coming.

Cursing, Kermish teleported near Shioru and placed his hand on the knocked rogue. The two turned into shining balls and shot to the skies.

Seeing the danger had passed, Raine approached Sheena. After a quick glance over the ninja she casted Revitalize, the wounds of the summoner closed partially. Noticing, Lloyd said:

"Professor, I think you don't put enough power in the spell."

"I put all the power I could Lloyd, but this wounds aren't normal, even for wounds made by magic.", before Raine could talk more, Yuan, Colette and the others arrived.

"Lloyd the robots are coming, we have to leave.", Colette said, panting. It seemed they came running from the battle field.

The swordsman nodded and asked to Yuan to help him to carry Sheena on the Rheaird. Lloyd decided to ride in the same Rheaird that her, to make sure she wouldn't fall. When the robots were in sight they departed, leaving the abandoned village behind.

- - - - -

Twilight covered the lands near Gaorachia Forest and with it came the sensation of fear to all those who traveled near the forest, but for a group of people that wasn't the case.

After searches in the village, the operators of the Knuckle Hammers and Perfect Murders came with the conclusion that it wasn't there. The leader of the group, a duelist warrior that already fought in many bloody battles, went to report to his master the futile results. He feared what reaction Kermish would have, but left the ancient Chosen without any report would certainly be worst.

Kermish was in a hill, looking to the skies with a taciturn expression, like that sight didn't have anything of special. He heard the duelist approaching. After his servant bowed, he reported:

"Master, we searched in the whole village, but our objective wasn't anywhere. They must have taken it while we fought in the forest.", the duelist said, with a slight tone of worry in his voice. Kermish noticed it, but decided to ignore.

If their objective wasn't in the village that meant she took that while he inspected the village before the army came.

For some time Kermish didn't say anything, his servant was getting more worried about it and considered if he could run fast enough to get out of the dark mage's sigh. Before the duelist could make the decision, Kermish said, almost making him to jump:

"Before we go, burn this village to the ground. I don't want any fence or a single brick stand, understood?", Kermish said in an authoritarian tone. The duelist nodded and went to pass the order to the others.

Kermish looked to the skies once more. After what seemed minutes, he started to hear houses being burned and destroyed by the robot's weapons.

"So, they're already protecting it... well, it seems it's time to 'recruit' them to our cause.", with a smile Kermish turned to the village, while the sun set and a starless, dark night came.


	14. Of Confidence and Feelings

I'm sure you all were waiting for some Shelloyd moment in this fic, so here is it.

Remember that Shelloyd moments isn't just when our two heroes realize at the same time what they felt about each other, I think it's also about the developing of the feeling for one to another. So without more delay, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Of Confidence and Feelings**

As Raine finished telling Yuan what happened, since they ran to Mizuho, until they rescued Sheena from Kermish's grasp, the Seraph maintained a thoughtful expression while hearing the tale. In his office were also Genis, Presea and Regal. Lloyd, Sheena and Colette were treating their wounds at the infirmary with Zelos.

"I never heard of Kermish have this type of power while he was alive. He should have got this when he got resurrected.", Yuan pondered, not looking to Raine and the others.

"But from where? Even elves don't use this type of magic. By what Raine taught me, they consider spells like that fouls.", Genis said, remembering of his magic lessons with his sister.

"That I don't know, but you have a point. This type of magic isn't the one that uses the mana of a Summon Spirit to create spells. By what I felt when I got hit by one of these, the energy is the same demons use in their magic.", Yuan said, remembering the sensation of had his mana being drained.

Whatever was the magic that Kermish was using it wasn't common and that only bring another worry: from who or what he got his new powers?

"If he can inflict wounds that cannot be healed by magic, how do we fight against someone with this type of power?", Presea asked, spelling out everybody's doubt.

"Simple, don't get wounded.", Yuan answered like that was the most obvious thing of the entire world.

"You talk like it's easy.", Genis said.

- - - - -

"So don't you really need anything?", Zelos asked to Sheena by the hundred time, she was already getting annoyed with that.

"For the last time, no! And if I needed, I certainly wouldn't seek you to help me.", she said with a sharp tone in her voice.

Zelos got really sticky since the incident at Hilda's party. Lloyd thought he was trying to apologize for that, but by the way he was acting it would just get Sheena's repulse for him stronger. Lloyd tried to call him at the reason, but the Chosen replied with:

"Don't worry with me bud. It's not the first time Sheena and I got a fight. But in the end she always forgive me.", Zelos said with his typical smile, but it was just a mask.

He knew that now he really messed up the things and Sheena wouldn't forgive him that easy and, by the way she was acting, he was starting to doubt that she would ever forgive him someday.

In a corner Lloyd and Colette were talking to each other. Sheena, with her trained hearing, could notice that he was asking if she was alright and talking other things about the village of Iselia. Sometimes she found herself some of apprehensive to hear what they where talking about.

_Why I always act like this when they got together?,_ she thought with herself._ Well, they're long time friends, of course they would be talking like this, but... hey! What you're thinking about Sheena?! Control yourself! It's not like of you being this worry about a boy._

The female ninja started to think about all that she felt when he was near. She felt much comfortable with him around. Indeed, she knew with Lloyd she could be herself, without having to worry with what he would think about her, if he would judge her people by her behavior. Plus, she felt much more confident around him.

_Hu, just look to you. Totally fall in love for him and he didn't even know this. Why don't I just eat my pride and go tell to him how I feel?_, she thought, taking a step near the two teenagers, but when she saw Colette and Lloyd laughed at some joke she told Sheena took a step back. _But... if does he already choose her?_

Whenever she saw him near to Colette, she couldn't help, but feel a pierce of jealously at the bottom of her heart.

She thought back in all the stories she heard about people making the stupidest things because they were jealous about someone. Even the deities of her village had stories about one betraying another or handing their brethren to demons because they got jealous of the relationships of one to another.

"No! I'm not like this. I would never hurt or betray anyone because of someone, even if it's Lloyd.", she thought aloud.

"Hey Sheena, what's up? Why are you talking with yourself?", Lloyd asked, startling Sheena, some by the fact she didn't knew if he heard her and some because she didn't saw he coming.

"Hum... uh... nothing, it was nothing. I was just... thinking. Yeah, I was thinking about something.", she said, trying to remain calm and contain her sweat.

Lloyd seemed to buy that, he didn't ask anymore. Sheena sighed when he turned around. However, a part of her, part that she tried to maintain under control, wished that he had heard her.

Denvir entered at the room holding a letter in his hand. He went to Lloyd and told:

"Sir Lloyd, we've caught this in the mail system. It's for you and since you are with us, we thought that would be good intercept in case of contain any important new.", Denvir handed the letter to Lloyd and before the Eternal Swordsman could said his usual "you don't need to call me sir" Denvir turned away and exited the room.

Lloyd opened the letter and read it.

"So what is it?", Sheena asked.

"It's from dad. He says he's ready to move and he wants I come to our house so that he can settle some things with me.", Lloyd answered, looking to the letter again. So his adopted father would finally go back to his home in the dwarven cities. "I'm going tell to Yuan, so I'll go to Iselia."

With this, Lloyd went to the Renegade leader's office and told to him he would go to Iselia to give a goodbye to Dirk. Yuan didn't oppose, he just said to Lloyd to take care.

After took his Material Blades and a few supplies for the trip, Lloyd went to the base's gate and exited to Triet desert.

"Lloyd, wait!", Sheena came out from the base as well, running to catch him.

"Uh? Sheena what are you doing?", Lloyd asked, confused.

"I'm going with you, what more? I don't thing I can stand that stupid Chosen for too much time without beat him out to the crap.", Sheena said, glancing at the base. "You don't mind, did you?", she asked, now some of concerned that he would decline her company, but for her relief he just smiled and said.

"Of course not. Let's go."

- - - - -

Inside the gates of Triet Base, a blond figure observed Lloyd smiled to Sheena as he accepted her invite to come with him. She observed they got the Rheairds and departed on the flying crafts, leaving to the skies.

She noticed how close they seemed to be each other. Well, they were good friends after all and friends liked to be close to each other.

_Just "good friends" are they? The way she looked to him, it's not the type of look of someone who wants to just be a good friend.,_ a voice said in Colette's head.

Yes there was something with the way Sheena looked to him. She noticed that in the party of Verius Temple's inauguration and when she and Lloyd were talking to each other, she noticed the quick looks Sheena casted to them. But what could that looks mean?

_You honestly don't know? You can be some of dumb in some matters, but you're not completely blind., _the voice replied, leaving Colette with doubts in her mind...

- - - - -

All seemed the same when Lloyd and Sheena arrived at Dirk's House. When they entered they saw a pile of suitcases in a corner and three tool boxes on other.

"Hi Lloyd! Glad to see you come.", Dirk greeted him and came, carrying a backpack. "I feared the letter just arrived when I already had gone."

"So, you're really going.", Lloyd said, with a lightly heavy voice.

Sheena could understand how Lloyd should be feeling. Didn't have someone that you knew would always lend to you a hand in the worst hours. Can't talk with the one who was like a member of family to you. She experienced all that when Igagury got in coma after Volt's attack.

"Don't get that look on your face, I'm just going to my birthplace not to the underworld.", Dirk said.

"But... I don't even know if I can go there."

"It's because of this I called you. Come here.", Dirk pointed to Lloyd sit in a chair near the table. Sheena stood near a wooden pillar of the house. "You can sit if you want lad."

Sheena refused, saying she was good standing. Dirk then dropped his backpack on the floor and searched trough the multiple pockets of it. When ee seemed to have find what he searched, he took out a ring and handed it to Lloyd.

At first the swordsman seemed confused, but after gave a good look at the ring he seemed surprised.

"This is..."

"Yep. It's a Confidence Ring. It's yours.", Dirk said with a smile.

Sheena approached to Lloyd and looked to the ring. It was a golden ring carved with some letters that she wondered to be dwarven writing. The ring shone with the lightest light of the ambient. She never saw such type of work.

"What's a Confidence Ring?", she asked.

"It's a ring that the dwarves give to people that they judged to be trustworthy. They carve patterns in the ring saying how the wearer gained their trust. They're really rare, since there aren't many dwarves in the surface.", Lloyd explained, remembering about what Dirk taught to him about his people culture.

"And it's also a lifetime pass to our cities. Plus, any other dwarf that see you wearing this knows he must help you with whatever you need.", Dirk completed.

Lloyd looked kind of surprised by the last parts. Dirk never had told to him about the other privileges the ring gave. Sheena also looked surprised, she never heard about this type of thing even when she researched about inhuman races.

"I know what you must be thinking. But I never told to you because I never thought it would be necessary for you to visit a dwarven city and you needed to deserve the ring.", Dirk added.

"I understand. You may have adopted me, but this doesn't mean the other dwarves would see me like you see.", Lloyd said. He knew some things you needed to deserve by your own actions, if not the others could think you were just taking advantage of your raising or birth.

"I carved the story of all your adventure in the ring and a note that you're my son, so if you want to visit me just go to Hima and show this ring to the Inn keeper. He's an ancient friend of us that know the path to the city.

"Oh, and also... take this.", Dirk took a mold of keys from his pocket and handed to Lloyd. "These are the keys of this house. It's my final gift to you. Now that I'm going back I don't need this house anymore, so it's yours now."

Lloyd was without words. He never expected to receive presents like that. Without find the right words, he just stood and knelled to hug Dirk saying:

"Thanks dad."

"Don't mention it. Just make me a favor.", Dirk whispered the next phrase so only Lloyd could hear. "Make this house the lair for a special girl of yours."

Lloyd bushed. Dirk gave smiled at that.

_He still didn't find how one of his friends really felt about him._ the dwarf thought, glancing over Sheena, who seemed confused by Lloyd's expression.

"Oh I almost forgot.", Dirk went to a wooden box near and opened it. He took from inside the twin blades Nebilim. "I think this is yours."

Lloyd took the swords back, he had totally forgot he left the accursed weapons to Dirk analyze. The dwarf seemed disgust to look at the weapons.

"Whoever forged this made a more then perfect work. It pains to me see what have become of these weapons. You also told to me that there were other weapons like this, it's probable they were united when this Dark Lord's spirit was sealed."

Dirk sighed at this thought. Lloyd knew that the dwarfs, above all, always respected a good work, so they considered an unforgivable crime when a weapon was used to cause harm to innocents or got accursed.

"In my opinion, who made this should be burned by Efreet's hellfire! You should search for a way to destroy these things quickly, there's something really bad about these weapons that gives to me shivers.

"Well, I'm going then. Frank will send my things to Hima latter, just leave the house key with him.", Dirk took up the backpack and went to the door, Lloyd and Sheena companied him. "Goodbye Lloyd. Goodbye lady."

"You know my name Dirk.", Sheena said, with a playful tone in her voice.

"I know, I was just being educated." Dirk laugh. "I hope our paths cross again, but until then: take care Lloyd.", with this last remark, Dirk walked by the wooden bridge and entered in the forest, disappearing of sigh.

Sheena looked to Lloyd and saw tears forming in his eyes.

"Lloyd, are you crying?"

"No... I'm not... it was just dust that fell in my eye.", he said, quickly wiping the tears of his eyes.

"Come on, you can tell to me. I'm not going to laugh. I'm not Zelos.", the female ninja said. "And besides, it's like he said: you can visit Dirk whenever you want. You just won't see him so often now."

Lloyd wiped more tears from his eyes. Sheena led him back to the house and made him to sit at the table while she sat on the other side. They remained quiet for some time, waiting for Lloyd's tears to stop.

After some minutes, Sheena heard a strange snoring. She quickly stood, thinking it was a monster, but after heard it for the second time she recognized the sound: it was Lloyd's belly.

"Ok, I'm going to cook.", Sheena said, receiving an embarrassed look from Lloyd.

After some time, the food was ready. Sheena looked to the window and discovered it was night.

"Uh... how about we pass the night here? I don't think it's safe for us to go back at night. We could be attacked.", Lloyd said, also noticing what time was. Sheena nodded.

They ate their meal quietly. The silence was getting Lloyd nervous. He was used with the sound of Dirk working on the stove, sharpening metal or carving wood. None noise in that house made him to feel so out of place.

"Hey Sheena.", he said, calling the ninja's attention. "What do you think?", she casted to him an interrogative look. "I mean, about all of this. Kermish, Merilius, the expheres."

Sheena swallowed what was in her mouth and thought a little before answer:

"I think that Chosen guy is nothing, but a selfish bastard. He abused in the past of his position, didn't care about anything but that crazy research and now came back just to make people suffer without any apparent motive. Compared to him, Zelos could be considered a saint.", Sheena pronounced.

"Yeah. I just want to know what he wants with the expheres. If it was for him to get more power or conquer cities he would just equip everybody that work for him with it.", Lloyd ate another spoon of his meal.

"I don't know. All that I know is we have to defeat that madman before he causes any more harm.", Sheena clutched her fists. She stilled not forget about Mizuho.

After they ended to dinner, they washed the dishes and Lloyd insisted to Sheena took his bed while he slept at the bed under the stair.

"The house is yours Lloyd, you should slept in your bed.", Sheena insisted. Lloyd tried to reply, but instead he yawned. He was really tired. "See. Now got to there or I'll drag you stair up.", the female ninja said with a dangerous and playful tone in her voice.

Lloyd decided to not discus anymore. He went up and started to change himself. The night was cold, so he took some blankets from a nearby wardrobe and went down stairs to give another to Sheena.

"I take some blankets for you. It'll be a cold night.", Sheena took the blanket and put it on the bed.

"Thanks.", Lloyd turned to go up. In that moment, seeing she wouldn't have another opportunity, Sheena asked. "Hum, Lloyd... could I ask you a personal question?"

"Uh? 'A personal question'?"

Sheena had to control herself to not blush wildly. Lloyd got closer and now was looking directly at her eyes, it always made Sheena got embarrassed when he looked to her like that.

Lloyd noticed how she seemed uncomfortable and didn't understand exactly why. Dirk always said to him that when talking about serious matters you should look into the people's eyes.

"Hum... well... did you... I mean, what do you... feel about Colette?"

It was that, she made the question. The female ninja expected he asked why she was talking about it or that it wasn't of her business, but instead Lloyd seemed to blush at the question.

"Hum... I... I...", he scratched the back of his head, in clear discomfort. Sheena didn't like to see him like that.

"Sorry. I know this none of my business, so if you don't want to talk I'll just...", she was going to her bed when Lloyd stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"Wait. I... I need to talk this to someone.", he then noticed he stilled grabbing her hand. He released her, blushing more. "Ok, this is the thing: I like her...", the summoner felt like her heart was about to drown deep down her chest. "I really like her how she was my sister, or another member of my family.", now Sheena almost fell due the loss of equilibrium.

"Wh... what?! Are you serious?!", she asked without being capable of believe in what her ears were catching.

"Yes. I want her to be happy and I like her like we are bothers, but... sometimes I feel like she was... waiting something more from me. In the begging I didn't notice it, but now I can see it. I... I don't know what I should do.", Lloyd went to the bed and sat, holding his head in the hands. "I want her to be happy, but she waits from me what I can't do for her. I'm so confused."

Sheena couldn't help, but felt happy and pity on Lloyd at the same time. She now knew what he really felt for Colette and now she knew she had a chance. By other side, she felt sorry for him to be in a complicated situation like that. Why could the things never be simple?

"Lloyd, you have to tell her.", she said in a neutral voice, sitting at the side of Lloyd.

"But... I'm going to make her feel sad if I do. And if does she hate me?"

"It's better you tell to her the truth than she still believing you can be something to her that you can't. She'll suffer at first, yes, but with the time she'll overcome it. And I don't think she'll hate you, Colette isn't this type of person.", Lloyd looked to Sheena while she stilled talking. "But don't you think it's worst she live with a false hope?"

Lloyd seemed to calm down a little. He breathed deeply and reflected. She was right, it'll be worst if he left Colette in that condition just to make her to suffer in the future.

"You're right.", he stood when he talked that. "It's better I talk to her the truth than leave the things like this. Thanks Sheena, you really understand about these things.", Lloyd smiled to the summoner, making her to blush.

"Ah, it was nothing.", she said trying to maintain her pose.

Lloyd yawned again, it was getting really late.

"Well, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Thanks again Sheena. I liked to have told this to you. You're really a great friend."

The Eternal Swordsman went to his bed at the second floor, leaving Sheena behind, who was trying with all her strength didn't shout "Idiot!" to him. How could Lloyd have noticed what Colette felt for him and didn't notice how she felt about him?

_I know he's really dense sometimes, but this is the last straw of denseness I ever saw! What do I need to do for you to notice me Lloyd?!_


	15. Dark Whispers

Here a new part begins to my fic. A good title to this part would be the one of this chapter.

Now this is one of the darker chapters I ever did, so the ones of you that got impressioned easily or just came out from depression should really avoid this chapter. From now on, wait to the things got more serious.

Disclaimer: I don't own ToS or any character or place of it, I just own Merilius, Kermish and the other OCs that appear here.

**

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Chapter 15**

**Dark Whispers**

Triet Base was quiet that night. Even Yuan, who normally stood awake, went to his room and fell in the bed, sleeping almost instantly. The last days were really though, even for one of the Seraphim.

Yuan was in such heavy sleep that he failed in notice a strange disturbance in one of the base's rooms...

Presea moved and struggled in her bed, like she was having a nightmare. In fact, that was the worst dream she ever had in her whole life.

In her dream she was walking, wearing a black travel cape with a hood. The city she entered was really familiar, but she couldn't place her finger on it to find which city was. As she walked through the streets, people stopped what they were doing and looked to her.

Presea stopped as well, looking at that people. Fear was written in their faces, but what were they afraid of? She didn't see any monster all the way to the city's plaza nor did she see anything that could represent danger for that people. So what were they so afraid of?

When she tried to approach to ask a nearby passer, he quickly backed away, tripping in his feet while tried to get away from the girl. Presea didn't understand that so she tried to talk to another citizen nearby, which was with a child grabbing her hand. At the ax wielder movement, the woman took her children in her arms and ran, like she was trying to get away of a very menace-looking demon.

"What's happening here? What are they so afraid of?", Presea asked aloud.

"Isn't that obvious?", a voice said, coming from her back. Presea turned and saw a tall man with blood-red hair falling trough his shoulders in thick, long strands and matching eyes. He had pointed ears, indicating he was either an elf or a half-elf. But the most screaming thing about that man was that in his approaching the entire atmosphere around him filled with a sensation of fear and bloodthirsty. His voice carried a poisonous tone, almost spectral. "They're afraid of you, Presea."

When the man started the second phrase, Presea instantly grabbed her ax. She knew it wasn't necessary to have a special perception to know better than leave your guard down near that stranger.

"What do you mean? And how do you know my name?", She asked, the man chuckled at the question.

"Who don't know the great heroes who reunited the worlds?", the man said, but Presea could notice a different tone in his voice when he said "heroes". "And I mean that you're the reason why they're afraid. Just look to their faces."

Presea cast a quick glance behind, it was sufficient to see he was right.

"To their eyes you're not human Presea and to be sure, even you doubt you're human. Am I not right?"

Presea looked surprised. How did he know about her deepest doubt? She tried hard to hide it from everybody, even from her friends.

"Oh, I know all about you Presea. Your doubts, your fears... and I can assure you: some of them are true.", the man said again. Was him reading her thoughts?

"Shut up! You know nothing about me!", she shouted, but found her voice had a slight tone of doubt in.

"Don't I? Well, then why don't you ask to these folks in your back?", he asked, pointing to the people at the plaza.

Presea looked back to the people, they shivered when she did. She tried to approach them again, but this time everybody ran away, leaving the plaza completely desert.

The ax wielder looked at this and lowered her ax, doubt and shock were in her eyes. The man approached and leaned to her head, Presea tried to repel him, but for some reason she found all her body was frozen. The man's voice then talk near her ear, in such venous tone that it was like each of his words were daggers, stabbing her soul:

"You know this Presea: to them you're just a weird, walking abomination. Even your talk is strange. Who did ever hear about a human that talks like a machine? You don't even have emotions."

"But... I do have...", Presea tried to reply with a weak voice, she wasn't sure of anything more now.

"Can you really say it? What was the last time you cry when you get hurt? What was the last time you smiled or show affection by something?", Presea tried to search in her mind, but couldn't find anything. Was that stranger right about her? "Why then stay near a group of humans when you even isn't one? You just stand with them by logic, they're your best chance of survival. This all that they represents to you: numbers, statics and probabilities. Admit it. You're not a person."

"No...", Presea mumbled struggling in her bed by some more time. After what seemed some seconds she stopped and lied quietly...

- - - - -

The dawn came to Iselia Forest. The birds started to sing, greeting the rays of sun that bathed the leaves of the woods.

Sheena awoke with the luminosity entering by the window. She sat and stretched her arms. Looking around the ninja found Lloyd didn't wake yet, he was always the last to wake.

Deciding it was better make the breakfast than wait for him to wake, she went to the shelves and started to pick up the ingredients.

When the food was nearly ready, a Lloyd in a bad-hair day come down.

"Good morning, sleepy head!", she teased. Lloyd didn't seem to notice, he smelled the hair, much like a dog searching for food.

"Hum. Seems tasty.", he went to where she was cooking the breakfast and tried to reach an omelet with his hand. Sheena slapped his hand with a wooden spoon.

"Nu hu. Just when you get dressed for we go. Now go up there and dress yourself."

"Since when did you turn into my mother?"

Lloyd soon regretted at the commentary as Sheena picked him by his ear. An angry voice came from her when she said:

"I certainly don't want to become your mother. I'm pretty young to it."

_Instead, I would like to be other thing._, Sheena thought while Lloyd went stair up, tending his red ear, without understand why she got so pissed all of sudden.

After they ended the breakfast and closed the house, the two friends went to the road. Near the slope that gave access to the forest they saw another person coming, the last they expect to encounter there.

"What... Merilius? What are you doing here?!", Lloyd asked to the dark-blue haired half-elf.

"I could ask the same.", he simply replied in his serious and straight tone.

"My house is nearby here." Lloyd answered not knowing exactly why, he didn't own anything to the traitorous half-elf.

Merilius didn't show any surprise or made any mock like "you live in this world end?", instead he simply said:

"Well, I was nearby when I felt... wait. Did you just say your house is nearby?", Merilius asked, Lloyd just nodded. "I see. So it must be with you.", Merilius drew his sword. The blade seemed to sing when it was taken out from its sheath. "I'll get this straight to the point: hand me any Devil's Arms that you have and I may let you go."

Merilius pointed his sword to the surprised faces of Lloyd and Sheena. After recovering, the female ninja asked:

"You know about the weapons? Well, too bad, because we won't hand any to you.", Sheena drew her cards, standing ready to battle.

"You think we'll just hand these things to you and Kermish? No way! We won't let you have these weapons just to hurt more innocents."

Merilius seemed to freeze at that statement. Recovering his pose he said:

"I may be working for him, but this doesn't mean I held any loyalty for him. In fact, I'm just with him because the circumstances forced me to.", Lloyd and Sheena seemed surprised by Merilius' firm voice tone, it was almost like he had some short of mission that he would do everything to accomplish. "Besides I don't know how Kermish got acknowledge of the weapons, but it doesn't matter since he doesn't stand in my way."

Merilius then launched to attack, beginning the battle. His attacks were a quick succession of strong blows in such speed that both Lloyd and Sheena knew none normal human could reach. They tried to attack, but Merilius was fighting with such vigor with the two at the same time that they didn't find any breach between the attacks.

Taking his advantage, Merilius landed a round quick on Sheena's face after a particularly strong blow against the fan of cards that she used for protection. While the ninja turned because of the kick he quickly clashed his sword against Lloyd's and, holding the sword with one hand, he used his free hand to shot a ray of light on him.

Lloyd was thrown back by the magic, Sheena went to attack Merilius and tried to land her cards on him. She landed a seal in his armor and quickly sent energy in the card.

"Power Seal Absolute!", the armor cracked. Merilius jumped behind not giving the ninja another chance to land another hit on him.

Deciding to use a different tactic on her he charged energies in his blade. A wind sphere surrounded the entire edged when he released it, by swinging the sword in the ground.

"Demonic Sphere!", the wind sphere ran trough the ground, scaring the land where it passed.

Lloyd jumped in Sheena's front, using Guardian. The sphere hit the magic green shield and dissipated with a sound of strong collision. Lloyd could fell the power of the attack, it would be more then sufficient to push one of them some meters away.

Merilius started to chant a spell. A yellow circle appeared beneath him indicating it was a light spell. Sheena and Lloyd prepared, but what came they didn't expect.

"Shining Seal!", a Photon-like spell hit Lloyd and Sheena, but different from the basic light spell attack, which exploded around its target, the seal lines closed around Lloyd and Sheena, bidding their arms completely. They tried to release, but the magic seals were too strong.

Merilius approached of them. Now he finally would recover what was stolen from him so much time ago. But before he could reach them, Lloyd's exphere began to glow and his body shone with a bright aura.

Before the half-elven swordsman could do something, Lloyd's great wings appeared and he broke the magic seals that bound him. In a blink of eyes, Lloyd went to Sheena and broke the seals on her too.

The two friends stood in a battle stance again. Merilius seemed impressed by the way Lloyd freed himself.

_So his angelic skills can break magic shackles... interesting.,_ Merilius thought, assuming a fight stance too.

"Lloyd, we'll have to work together to defeat this guy.", Sheena whispered to Lloyd, who nodded.

They decided to try some battle strategies they developed during their travels, if it worked they would defeat Merilius without much problem.

Lloyd flew against their opponent and delivered strong blows, but Merilius defended like they were nothing. Sheena positioned herself behind Merilius and prepared to attack him. Sensing the female ninja coming from behind, the magic swordsman jumped aside, exactly like they want.

Seconds before the half-elven swordsman land, Sheena casted Cyclone Seal. A wave of seal cards lifted Merilius from the ground, launching him in the air. Using the opportunity, Lloyd launched himself against him, with Flameberg stretched, in an aerial version of Rising Falcon.

When the seals exploded once more, Merilius saw the red clad swordsman coming. In a desperate attempt of defend himself, the half-elven swordsman casted his own defensive technique:

"Sacred Shield!", a green bubble-like sphere involved him, but at that same time Sheena threw multiple cards to Lloyd. The cards circled around the wave created by the air pressure of Lloyd's technique.

"Falcon Seal!", Lloyd and Sheena shouted.

Lloyd collided with Merilius barrier, creating sparks, like if metal was being pushed against metal. When the shield cracked, Merilius struggled to move in midair and stand out of the attack's route.

The green barrier broke and Lloyd shot against Merilius like an arrow, cutting his chest and his left arm. The pressure created by the attack made blood spill in the air and the seals that attached to Merilius' skin burned him before explode with potent energies.

The light swordsman fell with a loud thud in the ground, while Lloyd landed some meters away from him and knelled, panting. Sheena went to her friend also some of tired: they both used much of their mana in that Unison Attack.

"Well, it seems we win.", Lloyd said with a smile to Sheena, who also smiled. Their hopes then dropped when they saw Merilius moving and trying to stand. "Seesh, not again!"

Lloyd and Sheena stood in their battle positions again, but hesitated to attack when they saw Merilius almost fell. The half-elf swordsman used his sword to equilibrate, holding in the golden hilt with all his left strength. Panting, he talked between his breaths:

"Enough... I surrender...", his tone was sincere. Seeing he wasn't in conditions of try any trick, Lloyd and Sheena lowered their weapons. "Your power... together is great... I see now why Kermish fears you...", struggling Merilius walked slowly towards Iselia Forest, using his sword as a walking stick.

"Wait. What about the Devil's Arms? You said something about work with Kermish just to got them back, just who are you?", Sheena asked. That question was bothering her by sometime.

"'Who am I you ask? I'm what you see: a swordsman who will do whatever is in his reach to recover his honor, but if I'm going to do this, I'll do in my way.", Merilius said, not looking to her or Lloyd. "I already delayed myself too much. Don't tell to Kermish we have this talk."

Without more talk, Merilius went to the forest, not looking behind...

- - - - -

Raine was organizing her belongings in the wardrobe in her room, putting her clothes and books on separate shelves and drawers. The door opened and steps were caught by her elven hearing. Turning, Raine saw Presea.

"Yes Presea?", Raine asked.

"Professor, I was thinking about something. Could I check the Heart of Chaos?", the ax wielder girl said in an emotionless tone.

Raine couldn't help, but felt a strange sensation at her request. Presea hated the Devil's Arms since Nebilim's spirit almost possessed her in the Temple of Darkness. Of course, Raine also didn't find the appearance of the weapons very attractive, but her curiosity about the accursed weapons, together with her good sense, kept her from throwing the foul objects in the sea.

Looking to the pink haired girl again, Raine saw her face was expressionless and unreadable.

_Anyway she's not fool, she know better than no one what the weapons can do. Maybe she just wants to overcome her trauma of these objects._

"Ok, I'll take it.", Raine then searched in the bottom of her wardrobe in a shelve covered with her clothes. Behind her garbs was the said staff.

However, when Raine take it she felt something much wrong. Looking at the weapon she noticed it was pulsing like it has own life. She didn't notice that before, when she guarded the weapon, and now could also felt a strange energy radiating from the cursed item.

"Oh, now that's curious.", she heard a sound of a weapon being drew behind her and in a fraction of seconds Raine jumped aside at the moment an ax cut her wardrobe in two.

Recovering from the initial shock, she saw Presea standing, with an ax in her hand and soulless eyes, which indicated it wasn't her who was in the control of her own body anymore...

- - - - -

After ate some lemon and pineapple gels to recover the energy, Sheena and Lloyd arrived at Sylvarant's Base. They couldn't wait to take a good bath and rest.

"So... are you going to tell Colette?", Sheena asked to Lloyd. Each time she remembered what he really felt by the blond Chosen her heart filled with hope, which was putted aside and replaced by a big indignation each time that he show how blunt he was about her feelings.

"I'll as soon as I got...", what Lloyd would do first, Sheena never knew, because in that moment the base's front gate exploded, making sand fly to everywhere.

Sheena's and Lloyd's eyes widened. What could have enough strength to put that big gate down? From inside the base they heard voices, it seemed the Renegades were after someone:

"She's there! Don't let her escape!"

"She's too strong, we need reinforcements!"

A figure was visible from the cloud of sand, it was running in their direction. Lloyd and Sheena waited and then they recognized the figure: it was Presea.

"Presea?! What the...", Lloyd exclaimed. Sheena took a good look on her and noticed something was wrong.

"Be careful Lloyd, there's something strange about her.", Sheena drew her cards automatically, she learned that in situations like that it was better you have a weapon on hand until understand what was going on.

Presea seemed to notice them. She stopped and then Lloyd and Sheena could take a good look on her. Her eyes were empty, devoid of any emotion or any signal of life. It was the same eyes when Colette got her soul denied by her Cruxis Crystal.

A strange energy also seemed to be around her, but only Sheena could fell it. Presea spoke in an emotionless voice that didn't even carry the robotic tone that was so common to her:

"Nebilim... swords... hand it over...", she drew an ax and stood ready to battle. Lloyd and Sheena got worried when they saw what the ax she was carrying was. It was Diablos...

* * *

A.N.: Presea's fans please don't kill me! I know this thing of Presea being possessed by the Devil's Arms is some of cliché, but I have a surprise here that I can told to you: Presea isn't the only one that will get possessed by our favorite creepy weapons! XD

Oh, time to go. Later and review! "runs from an angry mob"


	16. By a Demon I will Fight

We got some more action in this chapter and here start more of character development in the story. Not too much to talk aside it.

I don't want to make this fic sounds too cliché, because of the Devil's Arms part on it, so your opinion about how I'm doing with it will be important.

Good reading people and please review!

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**By a Demon I will Fight**

Lloyd and Sheena stood at the front of the entrance gate of the Renegades' base in Sylvarant. In their front was Presea, with the ax Diablos in her hand and soulless eyes, indicating the weapon was obviously possessing her.

Lloyd drew his swords, preparing for the case of her to attack.

"Presea, snap out of it. Don't let this thing control you again!", Lloyd tried to call, but the girl didn't even move.

After some seconds, the possessed girl raised her ax and charged. Lloyd and Sheena defended each of her attacks, but her blows were sufficient strong to make them to lose the balance.

Presea then used Infinite Destruction breaking Lloyd's and Sheena's defense, hitting them with heavy and hard rocks. Sheena and Lloyd jumped aside, trying to think in a way to fight without get her hurt.

The ax wielder turned her attention to Sheena and started to attack her with Rising Punishment and Beast, the first technique breaking her defense the other cutting her in the belly and pushing her some meter away.

Yuan and the other members of the group arrived at the battlefield. Seeing a wounded Sheena and an emotionless Presea, they decided to enter in the battle. It was when, for the second time, Sheena saw a dark shadow, involving Presea's body.

_So it wasn't just my imagination that time. But what's that thing?, _the female ninja thought. She never saw something like that.

Genis, Raine and Yuan also stopped, looking to Presea with worried and shocked expressions. They also could see the shadow.

The strange creature looked to the other members of the party that stilled coming and drew their weapons, it appeared they couldn't see it. The dark shadow then spoke in Presea's ear with a spectral, cold, venous voice:

_Forget about them, deliver the final blow on her and we will have severed this threat.,_ Presea immediately avoid the others' attacks and went to Sheena with her ax ready to strike.

In a fraction of seconds Presea lifted the ax, ready to descend it upon her target. Then a red blur came at the moment the ax came down. A sound of flesh being cut could be heard.

With wide eyes, Sheena just looked to the one in her front. After some moments, blood started to drop in the desert's sands, while Lloyd knelled, started to pant and tried to get his hand to his back.

"Are... you all... right...?", Lloyd then fell, without say anymore words.

Everybody stood mute at the scene. Genis then break the silence:

"Presea... why? Why did you attack Lloyd and Sheena?", he started to approach. When he did the shadow involving Presea glared at him and started to advance to the little half-elf with a menacing look in its red blood, shiny eyes.

_Get away little one, or you'll be the next._

Genis stopped, petrified while the shadow moved closer. He tried to move, but his legs just didn't answer. Raine then charged a spell and used it at the shadow:

"Away form my bother you wraith! Ray!", a giant light sphere appeared near the shadow, which backed at the vision of the spell.

Light rays rained down, but the specter avoided all in a snake-like way. Involving Presea again, the shadow spoke in her ear:

_We don't have time for these games. Get the soul part with him and let's get out!,_ the possessed girl then looked to the unconscious Eternal Swordsman and moved to him.

Sheena moved, standing between her and Lloyd, cards stilled at hand.

"Presea, I don't want to do this, but if I had to hurt to protect Lloyd I'll do.", Sheena said preparing to place a card on the girl.

"Out of the way... you wretched...", Presea used Endless infliction on the summoner, who tried to defend, but had her defense broken by the strong blows. At the final hit, Presea cut her thorax, just below her chest, and the right arm with such strength that Sheena was pushed to the ground once more.

Snapping out of the confusion caused by the entire scene, the rest of Lloyd and Sheena's friends went to help them. Presea quickly went to Lloyd and searched trough the swordsman's body until she took what she needed.

Raine and Genis stared in shock at what the girl just had picked: the dual swords Nebilim. Avoiding the others' attacks again, the ax wielder girl jumped back and was involved by a spiral of dark smoke.

"Presea! No, come back!", Genis shouted, but it was too late. When he tried to reach her, the smoke dispersed and Presea was in nowhere to see...

- - - - -

The Tower of Mana was desert, save by some archaeologists that came from time to time to see what they could rescue of the wreckages. Because of it, few knew where they could encounter the Summon Spirits of the light. At that moment one of this few was near the mountains, at the back of the tower.

Merilius was knelled before Luna, while she bathed him with light, tending and curing his injuries. Whoever saw the scene wouldn't believe that a complete stranger achieved to take the Summon Spirit's bless.

When the lights disappeared, Merilius opened his eyes, feeling totally restored. Standing the magic swordsman looked to the Summon Spirit, smiling:

"Thanks Luna."

"It was nothing, just make sure thee don't get wounded like this again.", the Summon Spirit said, returning the smile and disappearing.

In that moment a strong wind blew at the mountain, sending a shiver trough Merilius' spine. That sensation, he remembered it too well, but could it be?

- - - - -

Lloyd woke with the sound of voices around him. His back pained too much and all his body felt tired. Then the voices stopped. Focusing his vision Lloyd could saw a group of people around the bed he was. In another bed, at his right, was a raven haired figure.

"Lloyd, are you all right?", Sheena asked concerned. She was as injured as him with bandages at her arms.

"I think I am. Ugh! My back is killing me.", Lloyd mumbled.

"Good, cause now _I_ can kill you.", Sheena's tone changed from concerned to angry. "What's your problem?! You could have killed yourself doing that!"

Lloyd then remembered: when he saw that Sheena would be killed by Presea he didn't think twice and jumped at her front, taking the blow instead.

"Lloyd, we know you always do whatever there is in your reach to help us, but you need to start to think before do such a dangerous thing like that.", Raine said, half-scolding.

Lloyd mumbled something like "I'm sorry", the others just sighed. They knew no matter how the situation seemed dangerous Lloyd always jumped in without think when one of his friends was in danger.

"And what about Presea?", Lloyd asked, trying to avoid being scolded again.

"Unfortunately, she got away with the Devil's Arm that was with you.", Regal answered. Lloyd instinctively checked his clothes, but it was futile, she really took Nebilim swords.

"Who cares about those stupid arms?! Presea is being controlled by that shadow, we have to do something.", Genis called their attention.

Lloyd looked to the little half-elf confused. He asked about what shadow he was talking about. He didn't remember of see any shadow during the battle.

"So only the members of the group with elven blood could see it.", Yuan pondered. He knew elves and half-elves were more sensible about spiritual presences by their affinity with mana.

"There was a shadow involving Presea and whispering at her ear to attack us and take the Devil's Arm that was with you, Lloyd. Maybe that shadow was...", Raine started, but stopped the phrase. Lloyd understood what she was saying. If Presea was using a Devil's Arm and was being possessed by a spirit it could only mean one thing...

"Nebilim. Man, like if had to deal with Kermish wasn't enough now we have to worry about this.", Lloyd sighed.

Everybody nodded. Raine then spoke again in her usual analyzing tone:

"First we have to know what Nebilim made to possess Presea. Generally, to possess someone the spirit needs to make the person lowers his guard by using his weakness against him."

"Weakness?", Zelos asked.

"Doubts, regrets, fears, everything that we often hide from other people and make us vulnerable. This is, if you know how to use it to your favor.", Raine spoke in her usual wise tone.

Lloyd tried to stand, but the pain in his back forced him to sit back. Sheena asked if he needed something, Lloyd replied that he needed nothing. The others continued their discussion, until Sheena remembered something:

"In our battle against Merilius, he was after the Devil's Arm with us and said that Kermish knew about the weapons.", Sheena spoke. Yuan turned to her almost instantly.

"What?!", he asked, Sheena repeated her line. "Damn, then we have to find Presea before him. If he knows she's possessed he can use her."

Yuan then started to speak with the others about forming parties to search for Presea. He selected Raine, Genis and Colette to search over Sylvarant and try to find any information about the ax wielder's location. Regal and Zelos would search over Tethe'alla.

Lloyd said he wanted to go too, but Yuan replied:

"You two still not recovering from your battle against her and besides we need someone to stay in the base in the case of we found new expheres."

With all settled everybody separated. Yuan went to his office, leaving Sheena and Lloyd alone in the infirmary. Lloyd sighed and lowered his head, when Sheena asked what was up he answered:

"Why these things keep happening with us?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's the price by be the 'heroes who reunited the worlds'.", Sheena said, noticing Lloyd stilled in a foul mood, she added. "Don't worry, we will find Presea and help her to get back. We already passed by this type of thing."

Lloyd seemed to recover some of his usual mood. He stood with a thoughtful look in his face, when Sheena asked what was, he said:

"Did you just notice we have changed the roles by some time? Now it seems it's you who kept telling me that everything will go all right.", Sheena chuckled at the commentary.

"Well, even leaders need help sometimes. Don't worry, whenever I see you're down I'll cheer you up. If not, I'll just grab your shoulders and shake you saying: Snap out of it, you idiot!", the female ninja said, mimicking the gesture. Lloyd laughed, half-worried.

"I don't know if it was for cheer me or if it was a menace, but thanks Sheena.", the Eternal Swordsman smiled, making the summoner blush. She would never tell him now, but she thought he really got handsome with that smile.

- - - - -

One day passed since the searches for Presea began. None report about her came from either the Renegades' agents and from the two parties around the two countries.

Yuan grumbled over his desk at the futile results. They were racing against time he knew. If Kermish really knew about that freak cursed weapons, it was just a matter of time until he got acknowledge of what became from the young ax wielder.

While he stilled to mumble about it, Denvir entered in the office, a report in his hand.

"Sir, we found a new load of expheres near Asgard region. It seems a group of pilgrimages found it near the ruins of Asgard Ranch and brought it to the town.", Denvir said, handing the report to Yuan.

"Thanks Denvir. Now call Lloyd and Sheena and ask for them to encounter me at the entrance of the base. I heard they're better now.", Yuan ordered. Denvir saluted and went to talk with the two heroes.

At least, one thing to do while wait for some good news. Now Yuan's only worry was who Kermish would send to take these expheres.

- - - - -

"Don't you want to eat anything Genis? It's tasty, I proved.", Colette offered by what seemed the third time now.

"I don't want anything.", Genis mumbled.

The young warlock was in that foul mood since they didn't found any clue about Presea. He refused to eat anything until they found the girl.

Raine sighed every time she saw that. She knew about her brother's feelings by the girl and already tried to talk to him about this many times, but it was just enough to say the words "relationship" and "Presea" or "girls" in the same phrase to him blush wildly and try to avoid the subject.

The half-elven teacher knew how her brother could be shy about this matter and often left it to be, thinking he would talk to her when he was ready. Now that the things were going this way, she feared this whole situation could lead the young half-elf to develop an obsession for Presea that would lead them to commit grave mistakes in the future.

"Come on Genis, you need to eat. If you not then we won't have strength when we encounter Presea. I really don't want to thing like this, but if we have to fight with..."

"I SAID I DON'T WANT TO EAT!", Genis shouted at Colette, who looked with an expression of shock.

The blond Chosen lowered her head. Genis then noticed what his outburst did to his friend. He knew that anybody in her place would be at tears now, but Colette always tried to hold her tears, even when she got a serious wound or was with fear about something.

"Colette... I...", Genis tried to justify.

Deciding it was enough, Raine closed her book and used the most serious voice she could to call her brother:

"Genis Sage, come here now!", Genis gulped, he knew when his sister talk to him like that she would scold him and with a good reason. The young warlock approached to his sister. "Start to talk now and don't even think to try to avoid the subject if you don't want to know how hard my staff is!"

Genis blushed, but used all his strength to don't try to avoid the talk. He didn't know, but it pained Raine to see her brother in this type of position. Even so she knew she needed to do that, not just for herself, but mainly for her brother.


	17. At the Edge of the Ax

Can't... strop... writing...! ... must... not... interrupt... action...

By the speed I'm writing we can have the next chapter post really fast! I just would like to know how you people are taking the inclusion of the Devil's Arms and our favorite vengeful spirit.

How you could now notice, this part of the fic will be mainly focused on the gang's character. Their doubts and fears about the future and themselves.

Now, let's continue with the show!

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**At the Edge of the Ax**

Lloyd, Sheena and Yuan arrived at Asgard. The city didn't change in that whole year they didn't visit it. The winds continued to blow moving the windmills around.

Yuan stood attentive in the case of an attack, he knew Kermish could have put agents trough the city for the case they came. Arriving at the Inn near the second part of the city, they entered and heard voices coming from the hall:

"For the last time, we're not interest. We heard about how these things are made. It's not a trade product, it's human lives that we're talking about!", a woman was arguing. A voice came in response, Sheena immediately recognized it: Shioru.

"You should know better than opposing to us woman. We gave to you the change to get something over it, but like you bluntly refused...", a sound of weapons being draw was heard.

Abandoning any tactic of surprise, Sheena jumped into scene and drew her cards at the moment that Shioru's weapon was to cut the woman's throat, using a fan of cards to block the attack and another fan to use Pyre Seal on Shioru.

Lloyd and Yuan also drew their weapons. The innkeeper, seeing that a battle would take place, quickly took shelter under his table. Yuan dealt with the bandits companying Shioru while Lloyd took the woman and the two men with her away from the battle.

"Thanks. You're Lloyd Irving don't you? Please, take this...", the woman gave to Lloyd two expheres. "We heard you were collecting it so we decided to guard it until we found you."

"Thanks. Now go and search for shelter while we deal with these guys.", Lloyd said. With a nod the woman and the two men ran trough the door.

Turning his attention to the fight, the Eternal Swordsman saw that Sheena and Yuan had all in control. He started to wonder if they even needed help, due the vigor they were fighting.

"Give up Shioru. I won't give you another chance like before.", Sheena said in a very serious tone to the former ninja.

The rogue saw Yuan defeating his companions. Recognizing he didn't have chance against the summoner, he threw a smoke bomb. When the clouds lowered he wasn't there anymore.

"Coward...", Sheena mumbled.

"Everybody all right?", Lloyd asked, approaching them.

"Yes, but it was almost too easy... we better get out before something more comes.", Yuan said.

Exiting the Inn, the three companions stood ready to any sudden attack. The city seemed some of empty and tense even considering that were some people around. That only made they thought about leave the city as soon as they could, they didn't need to involve any innocent in that conflict.

When they were almost reaching the exit Lloyd's and Yuan's angelic hearing caught something: a sound coming from above. Looking to the slope they saw three giant rocks sliding down.

Lloyd looked to Sheena, who stilled going to exit, she didn't hear the rocks until it was midway to her. Lloyd quickly shown his wings and flew against the rocks, he knew it would be too late for Sheena to avoid. Using the Material Blades he destroyed the three great rocks, reducing it to pebbles, but when he prepared to destroy the last using Beast, the move made something slipped out of his pocket.

The swordsman angel saw it was the two expheres he just received. He tried to fly to catch it, but a dark and golden blur came first. When Lloyd looked again, it was Kermish, wings at show and an expression of victory in his face while he looked to the expheres between his fingers.

"Now, now. Just look what the winds brought to me...", Kermish said, in an amused tone. Looking up to the slope, he commented. "I would love to end with you here and see your body falling to this pit, but it seems you already have your own problems.", Lloyd and Yuan tried to reach him, but Kermish transformed in a ball of purple light and shot to the skies.

Lloyd found some of strange Kermish just leave saying that, but before he had time to think something landed on his back, pushing him to the ground.

After a hard land, the angel felt the weigh being removed. Looking to his front, Lloyd found Presea with Diablos in hand, in a fight stance. Yuan and Sheena knew what would come, then they ran and stood at Lloyd's side. Sheena helped him to get up. Presea looked to them, analyzing the scene to find the best strategy against her friends.

"It's time to eliminate the threats...", the ax wielder charged...

- - - - -

Genis stood silent while walked alongside with Raine and Colette, near Asgard city.

He stilled remember about the talk he just have with Raine earlier...

"_I like her, okay?! I simply can't stop to think about her! All that time in Sybak, whenever I passed at the tests, I just thought how she would react if she could see me.", Genis said, half-shouting. _

_If it was another situation Raine would slap him by raise his voice to her, but it wasn't the moment to that. In that moment what he needed was a listener not an executor._

"_I tried to talk to her about it many times, but I just can't stop of shaking when I'm near her. Sometimes I think I'm going to get crazy, if I don't talk. And now she's gone... she got possessed because of something that's in her heart... I just wanted to understand what her doubt or regret was then maybe I could help."_

"_Genis, like I said before, these spirits generally use doubts that we hide from everybody. Even if you had asked she would avoid it. You could do nothing about it, so don't get relying over yourself by what could have been. Now you must focus at the present and work hard to find and get her back.", Raine lectured._

_Genis recognized some of Lloyd's speech in her talk. She already talked like that one time and when he pointed the similarity she just avoided, claiming she didn't copy anyone._

"_And about what you talk of how you felt, it's obvious you're fall in love for her.", Raine said, with a half-smile in her face. Genis blushed wildly again. "There's nothing to be ashamed about it, but I really would like if you have talked with me about it sooner, so we could have avoided some problems...", Raine indicated Colette with her head. _

_Genis felt guilty again about how he shouted at her by nothing. Raine continued:_

"_There's much I can teach to you about relationships, Genis. I also had my... admirers... so don't get embarrassed about ask to me. Remember: I just want the best for you Genis.", Raine smiled to emphasize her good will at the subject._

"_Thanks Raine.", Genis said, after some time of silence._

"_Oh, another thing. Before you two think to get your relationship to another 'level', talk with me first. There's some things I _really_ need to explain to you two.", Raine said, her smile disappeared. _

_Sensing the tone of his sister, Genis knew better than ask why at that "request". After think by sometime, he came with a doubt:_

"_Hum, Raine... did you just said you also have relationships in the past?", Raine looked to him with a look of "yes, why are you asking?". "Why did you never tell me anything about this before?"_

_Raine breathed deep before answer:_

"_Well, it's a really sad story... let's just say he and me didn't share the same interests."_

"_You mean he wasn't addicted to archeology like you."_

_It was that, now was the time to be an executor..._

Genis scratched the back of his head at the reminder of the slap Raine gave to him. Why did he never know when shut up his mouth?

When they were near the city, four figures and sounds of battle could be hear. Looking better, they saw Presea battling with Lloyd, Sheena and Yuan.

Lloyd and Sheena were with scratches and some cuts in the arms and legs, Yuan had part of his armor destroyed and his cape full of cuts, but wasn't so injured like his companions.

Colette drew her chackrans and Raine prepared to cast a healing spell. Genis didn't make any move, he just watched his crush battling with his friends, trying to thing in a way to make Presea came to sense.

Colette threw some Para Balls when Presea raised her ax to strike Yuan. The projectiles hit the girl, summoning lightning bolts, but Presea didn't seem to be much affected. She turned to Colette and charged at her in the moment that Raine casted Revitalize. Everybody's wounds were instantly cured.

After some blows on Colette, Presea suddenly turned to Raine, deciding to take down the healer first. Seeing his sister menaced by the ax wielder, Genis quickly prepared to cast Spread. He concentrated to not make the spell hurt her, but to get her away from Raine.

"Sorry by this Presea, but I can't let you kill one of our friends.", Genis said, casting the spell.

The girl was launched to the air by the column of water that sprouted from the ground. After a hard land she looked to whom casted the spell. Genis decided to try to talk with her:

"Presea, snap out of it! Don't hear Nebilim! You don't need of this guy talking to you about your fears and doubts. Hear him only will make the things worst.", Genis said, almost desperate.

Yuan thought to attack the girl while she was distracted, but Raine approached and stretched her arm to block him. She cast a serious glance to the Seraphim. Understanding the gesture, Yuan lowered his sword and watched Genis' attempt.

"Do you really think kill us will make you feel better?", Genis continued. In that moment Nebilim's shadow appeared above Presea's head.

_You're starting to get on my nerves little one. Presea, kill him._, the shadow ordered in its venous tone.

Presea didn't move, she just stood in her position, looking at the little half-elf, with Diablos at hand. Her eyes stilled soulless, but now didn't show the assassin gleam of before.

_I said to kill him._, Nebilim repeated the order.

Presea's body started to shake, from her hands to her feet.

"Genis... I...", Presea murmured the words, but it was loud enough to everybody around hear. By an instant her eyes flickered and turned back to its usual self. Genis could read the expression in them: sadness and fear.

"Presea please, fight against him. Come back to us... come back to me.", Genis said. Presea's body started to shake violently now.

Nebilim now could see what was going wrong. The boy's words were reaching her heart and making she fight back. If they didn't get away from there, she could regain sufficient control to tell to them what was the feeling he used to control her.

_Let's get out of here._,Nebilim said, pressing his control over the girl.

Presea then stopped to shake and backed to her soulless state. Dark smoke appeared and started to circulate her body.

By the second time, Genis found himself shouting her name and running to reach the girl, and again he tried to grab her trough the veil of darkness just to find nothing inside it...

- - - - -

Merilius stood in the top of a hill, overlooking Asgard's entrance. He watched the whole battle with a somewhat surprised expression.

So Nebilim was active once again and now he was taking over the heroes' hearts. The things were running totally out of control and he knew it only would get worst if it stilled like that. He needed to take urgent measures.

_I'll have to keep my tabs on them from now on. If Nebilim is starting to convert them there's no telling what he is up to _do., Merilius knew the spirit enough to know what was his primary objective, but what he could do after that was what worried him. _I just wait they realize it before it's too late._

Giving the back to the scene, Merilius left with two things in mind: find a way to encounter the girl and have a serious talk with Kermish...

- - - - -

Back to the base, the five heroes thought at what they'll do next and the consequences of their encounter with Presea.

"It's obvious she stills there, if we can find an away to make her to fight back we may release her from Nebilim's grasp.", Raine analyzed. Lloyd, Sheena and Genis agreed.

"I almost reach her, I could feel it. If we just could find an away to take Nebilim away from her.", Genis said, filled with new hope.

Yuan was near the door of the room they were, discussing with Denvir. The second in command then nodded and left the room. Curious, Sheena asked:

"What were you two talking about?"

"He's going to get your Devil's Arm to analyze. If these things are what is causing all this trouble then it's better we have a way to destroy them if it's necessary.", Yuan said, the idea of find a way to get rid of the weapons was a pleasure one to everybody.

A sound of bip was heard, Yuan realized it was his communicator. Taking the rectangular object he opened it and Regal's voice came out:

"We found her in the ruins of Ozette. She's in the middle of the city.", Genis' heart jumped at hear that.

"Good. Don't try to approach her until we arrive there, she may escape again if she sees you.", Yuan said.

With a response of "Understood" Regal turned off the device. Yuan pocket the communicator and said to they went to the transporter room. That room generated a portal that connected the two bases in the two countries and was the faster way to travel between them.

"Why does she go to there?", Lloyd asked.

"I don't know, but maybe Nebilim want to recharge his control over her by bringing Presea to a place that brings sad memories to her. Ozette's people always excluded her since she lost her emotions and didn't age. It also must have a deep significance to her about what she lost.", Raine said. She knew this would be the most obvious answer.

Genis clutched his fists at hear that. He knew how it reminded Presea about her lost childhood whenever she saw that the people of Ozette aged and changed while she didn't. The young warlock's blood boiled at the thought of Nebilim trying to drown her at these feelings.

Swearing he wouldn't let that specter hurt Presea or make her feel depressed anymore, Genis followed his friends to the teleporter room.

"Just wait Presea. I swear I'll save you."


	18. I'm not a Person

Oh yeah, the things are getting good, just like the planned. "wrinkles the hands"

Let's now see if our favorite group of heroes can really brought Presea back to her senses.

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**I'm not a Person**

At the middle of Ozette's ruins stood a girl, looking blankly to her front liked glancing over something nobody, but her, could see. A sad expression was written in her face.

Memories came to her mind. Memories of a distant past. Memories about the people of her home who backs away whenever they saw her coming, memories about people who looked upon her like she was a weird animal. Memories of all she saw and didn't care when she was in her soulless state. Not even her father's death she cared.

A voice spoke near her ear. To her that voice represented the truth, the truth that she had denied for the past of two years or more.

_See? Even now you still alone because of what you are. Just look to this dead place. It's as dead as you're inside. No matter how much you try, you'll never be like one of those who dwell here, because you're not human._,the voice repeated. It sounded almost hypnotic the way it spoke.

Presea didn't even bother to try to reply. Why did when it have reason? She was dead, as dead as the machine she was. Because of it she couldn't feel anything. How could a machine feel?

Then a new voice came, interrupting her reflection:

"Presea!", Genis and the others arrived at the middle of the village and stopped near Presea.

She could recognize him. Something inside her started to react. She couldn't understand it. How could a machine feel that?

Nebilim looked to them with a bored expression.

_What did I need to do to get rid of them?_, the specter sighed, taking care to Presea don't hear him. _Anyway, time to start the party. Presea get rid of them all._

"_Get rid of them"? But why? I... I don't want to do this..._, Presea thought. By some moments she stopped to think about being a machine.

Sensing the things could get out of control, Nebilim pressed his will at the girl again.

_Should I remind you that they're not like you? That you don't care about them? There's no point in you to have pity on them, since you aren't one of them. Maybe you should get a reminder.._, Nebilim pressed his will at the girl once more.

Presea knelled, grabbing her head at the memories that shot through her mind. Raine then could notice energies coming from the ax. It was flowing from there to the ghostly shadow of Nebilim then to Presea's body.

"Lloyd, Genis, everybody, I can see energies flowing from the ax.", Raine said.

"I can see it too.", Yuan added. "Then if we can take the ax from her..."

"We can release her from Nebilim's control.", Sheena completed.

The party went to attack the ax and took it out from Presea's hands. Nebilim finally regained the control and Presea went to attack.

The group of heroes attacked her with all their force, but all the hits were directed to the ax. Presea grabbed the weapon with her two hands and swing it against Lloyd and the others. She didn't let the weapon escape of her hands.

Lloyd's twin blades blocked the cursed ax. He and Presea pushed one against other while the Eternal Swordsman tried to think in a way to take the weapon out of her hands.

"Presea, drop this weapon! You don't need to follow this freaky guy!", Lloyd shout, tried to make her react, but he just had success in being pushed by Presea, almost losing his equilibrium.

The ax wielder tried to strike the red clad boy, but another blade came at her way. Zelos' Last Fencer attacked Presea's weapon with all the techniques he could remember, but the girl stilled hold it tight.

"Snap out of it my little rosebud! Let us help you.", Zelos said, but this slight moment of distraction was enough to she use Infliction against him.

Zelos defended, but strength of the blow made his defense break, Presea quickly used Beast and blew the Chosen away. Colette and Regal came in the battle. The blond angel used Angel Feathers and Presea defended with Earthly Protection, leaving the ax expose. Taking the opportunity, Regal kicked the weapon with all his might, making the weapon almost got launched to the sides.

"This is not working.", Yuan said. "Her grip on the ax is too strong."

"We have to think on something.", Genis said. He casted Tidal Wave, with hope the currents take the weapon away of its wielder, but he only have success in made Presea hit one of the scrambles of a house nearby.

Raine analyzed the whole situation. If they keep attacking they could end to hurt Presea. Her strength was far too great to hope she would just drop the ax after attack it. If they wanted to get it from her hands they would need a more direct approach.

"I have a plan. Lloyd, you stun her with one of your techniques. Yuan, you and Regal grab her arms while Lloyd take the weapon from her hands.", Lloyd and Yuan nodded.

After Regal was pushed away by one kick of Presea, the Renegade leader passed to him the instructions. The president nodded in agreement, it was the better plan they had up till now.

Colette stilled battling with Presea, but she suddenly felt herself tired. She couldn't see it, but Nebilim's shadow was circulating her, spreading his energies on the Chosen, making her felt weak. With that opportunity, the possessed ax wielder raised her ax to what would be a mortal blow, Colette didn't have forces at the moment to defend herself from that attack.

Seeing her friend in danger Sheena casted Cyclone Seal. When the ax descended, Presea was raised from the ground, missing Colette. The turmoil of seal cards exploded around her, but she recovered midair.

Lloyd came to attack. Hitting the girl with a quick succession of strikes. After have used Sword Rain, Lloyd broke Presea's defense.

"Sorry by this Presea. Beast Sword Rain!", the strikes hit Presea, giving some cuts to her, followed by a charge of powerful leonine energy, sending her some meters away.

Before the ax wielder could back to the attack Regal and Yuan appeared by her sides and grabbed her arms. Presea struggled to release, but Regal and Yuan maintained their grip. Nebilim tried to circulate them, spreading his energies to weak them.

Regal and Yuan almost knelled, loosing their strength, when Lloyd grabbed Diablos and started to pull it from Presea's hand. The girl clutched the weapon tighter while tried to release herself.

Sheena came and grab Presea's waist. Seeing that their plan could work, Nebilim made the weapon liberate its dark energies on Lloyd, burning his hands and sending waves of darkness against the Eternal Swordsman to make him get away.

Lloyd didn't release the weapon and continued to pull it. Genis came and grab Lloyd's waist, Colette did the same on Genis. Together the three friends fought against the waves of power coming from Diablos and pulled the weapon with all their strength while Sheena, Yuan and Regal pulled Presea to them.

They maintained like that until Presea's hand started to slip. Loosing the grip for complete, Presea and everybody fell, Lloyd threw the ax away. Nebilim's shadow just have time to show a surprised look before disappear.

Raine immediately came to Lloyd and helped him to sit while examined his hands. The rest of the group stood, everybody aside Lloyd seemed okay. Zelos approached the fallen ax.

"What should we do with this?", Zelos asked, reaching his hand to the cable of the accursed item.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!!!" Yuan screamed so loud that Zelos immediately retracted his hand, like it was the weapon who spoke. "Do you want we have all this trouble again?!"

"Okay, okay, sorry. Seesh.", Zelos mumbled while went to help the rest of the group to get on feet.

Genis went to Presea who was slowly kneeling. He knelled to talk with her at the same level:

"Presea, are you okay?", the little half-elf asked.

He didn't receive an answer for some minutes, until that Presea mumbled, her head staring to the ground:

"Why did you care?", she asked, drawing an "Uh?" from Genis. "Why should you care about an abomination like me? I'm not worth of your worry, I'm not worth of your presence, I'm not worth of even being alive..."

Her tone wasn't angry or desperate. It was just sad, but caring some of the robotic accent she had.

"I just brought to you trouble... you should have eliminated me so your problems would have ended.", she said, Genis knew that if she could she would be at tears.

"Presea, don't talk like that. We cared for you so much..."

"And do you think I'm able to return it?", she said now looking to him. Genis saw her eyes stilled in its soulless state: the spell wasn't broken. "I can't care about you, because I'm not able. You have to accept that I'm not human... I'm not a person. This is because I can't feel anything or care about anything at all... I'm just a living machine."

Lloyd and the others were ready to talk to her, but Yuan stretched his arms, clearing saying "let him to try". The group of heroes then watched the young warlock try to take back their friend.

"No! I refuse to believe in it!", Genis said, raising his tone. Presea didn't care about it, she couldn't feel pain in her ears by the high tone he used.

"Why do you still refuse to accept the truth?", she asked, preparing to go and get Diablos back.

"Because that isn't the truth.", she stopped. Did she hear wrong? "This is what Nebilim want you to believe. He's just using you, he's just using your fear of you don't know if you're human, but I can guaranteed to you that you're human."

She looked to him with an interrogative look. How could he just say that the truth that was revealed to her was a lie? How could he just claim that with that certainty?

"If you need of a prove then close your eyes and look inside you.", Presea looked him with an interrogation again. What was he thinking on? "Just believe in me. What you have to lose?"

Deciding he was right, she closed her eyes. She didn't find that action stupid or pointless for some reason. The world then fell in silence once she started to concentrate in her breath.

Then she heard it: beats. Beats in a strange rhythm. Together came a strange sensation of warm, she could locate its source. It was also the source of the beats. It came from the left side of her chest.

"This... thing that beats... this thing that spread this warm through my body... is this...?", she found herself asking aloud.

"This is a heart. It's what everybody that lives have, this is the prove that you're not a machine. You're a person."

She couldn't deny it now. That was a heart, _her_ heart.

"I'm... human...", she opened her eyes, realizing the real truth.

Golden cracks started to appear by all Presea's body. Everybody gasped at it, but no one more then Genis that exclaimed:

"What the...?!"

The cracks stilled to spread trough her body, but Presea didn't scream of pain or anything of short, in fact she just could felt relieved, like something perverse inside of her was being purged.

Light shot out from the cracks, involving her whole body. With a bright flash the cracks exploded, liberating glass-like shards from Presea's body. In a fraction of seconds the shards stopped in the air, turning a deep black and transformed into mist.

Lloyd and the others shielded their eyes when the flash came. Genis had to look to other side while clutching his closed eyes to not get blind.

The dark mist flew in spirals to Diablos and started to being absorbed. The weapon shook violently and from it came an otherworldly scream, like the fact of having its darkness coming back was bringing pain to the weapon. When all the darkness was absorbed all stopped, the weapon turned to lie quietly on the ground.

The group opened their eyes and looked to see Presea lying in the ground. Genis bent over her while Raine came. Eying the ax wielder the older woman spoke:

"Don't worry, she's just sleeping. I don't sense any trace of Nebilim's energy on her, now the spell must have been broken."

The rest of the group sighed in relief while approaching Presea's sleeping form. Genis seemed to calm down.

"Now we just have to come back to the base and...", Yuan didn't achieved to finish his sentence due that moment Colette shout and pointed to their back.

"Watch out!"

Everybody turned to see something flying in high speed against them. They recognized it like being Diablos and it was flying to Sheena, ready to deliver a killing blow.

The female ninja thought this time she was done. She saw the weapon coming to her, edge pointed to her face, but suddenly it stopped, inches from her face. Looking better, Sheena saw Lloyd holding the ax, while it shot the same energies of before on him.

Lloyd could feel his hands burning until it almost turn into live meat, but he wouldn't let the ax go, he wouldn't let it kill Sheena even if he got his hands totally damaged. The ax then spun around and hit him, making a cut on Lloyd's left arm and part of his chest.

The sudden twist of the weapon and the strength of it made the Eternal Swordsman fell to the ground. Everybody gasped at seeing that.

"The ax is... alive.", Regal murmured.

The cursed item floated in the air and positioned near Lloyd's face, it would strike him. Sheena tried to catch the weapon, but it already descended upon its target, too late for her to grab it. Lloyd could only cover his face with his hands, waiting for the impact of metal against flesh.

A sound of metal against metal came. Confused, Lloyd opened his eyes only to find the blade of a sword holding Diablos from reach him. Looking to the other side of the sword he found Merilius.

The half-elven swordsman pushed the living weapon away from the group, to everybody's surprise. The weapon adjusted itself in the air to face the new opponent. Sheena and Raine went to Lloyd, the ninja stood there to protect him against any attempt of Merilius to hurt him while Raine was tending his burned hands.

"Finally, now it's my chance.", Merilius said while positioning himself for the combat.

The magic swordsman was the first to charge, his blade seemed to sing while it cut the air to reach the accursed item. Blade and ax found themselves in a contest of strength that made it seem one wanted to break another.

Merilius pushed Diablos and started to attack it with the same speed he did in his previous battle against Lloyd and Sheena, but now with a new determination. Always when he hit the ax his sword produced yellow sparks on the ax. It seemed the sword was affecting the accursed weapon.

Diablos tried to strike him in a speed superior to that any ax wielder could reach, but Merilius achieved to answer with equal speed. When the weapons encountered one another again, Merilius pressed the ax with his sword using his right hand while he charged a ball of light on another.

The magic swordsman then hit the ax with the ball. Diablos was involved by yellow sparks again and couldn't move, it was paralyzed by the spell.

Merilius brought his sword to back and started to charge mana on it. While he did, Raine could take a good look on the blade: its hilt was made of a golden material that seemed to shine with an inner light, a pure white crystal was attached to the hilt and the blade had patterns on it. The half-elven woman recognized the patterns as being ancient elven writing.

A little charge of light mana appeared at the tip of the sword, it grown into a sphere while it raced to the hilt. Merilius thrust the sword at Diablos.

"Light Thrust!", at the instant the sword hit the surface of the accursed weapon the sphere of light in its hilt raced to the sword's point and exploded on Diablos.

The cursed item was thrown back by the power of the technique. It landed with its edge on the ground, light energies running trough it like electrical currents. The ax then ceased its movement and turned immobile, like the weapon it was supposed to be.

Merilius lowered his sword while the heroes at his back stared in awe. Walking to take the weapon back, one person appeared to block his away. Genis stood there and started to ask:

"Wait. How did you just do this? You defeated this thing like it was nothing."

"Genis, I can explain whatever you want, but first I need to recover this Devil's Arm.", Merilius replied in a firm voice, but the young warlock didn't leave his position between him and the magic swordsman.

"No way! Why did you want these things anyway? I'm certainly you saw what it made to Presea.", Genis asked again, he just couldn't trust to him something that dangerous.

Merilius was about to answer when he showed a shocked expression at something on Genis' back. The little half-elf got confused and before he could look Merilius shout:

"Look out!", Genis just have time to see the blur of Diablos' pink form before Merilius threw himself at Genis, making the half-elf fell, escaping from the ax's blow.

The weapon floated to behind and started to spin, producing a black smoke.

"No!", Merilius shout, getting stand and running to grab the ax's cable, but when he reached the smoke curtain he catch nothing. Diablos had gotten away.

The half-elven swordsman stood there, looking to the smoke dispersing at his hand, with a look of disbelief in his eyes. He had lost it, he had failed again...

Lloyd and the others came to Genis, who was sitting. The young half-elf casted a confused and somewhat startled look to Merilius.

"Wh... why?", it was all that Genis achieved to say. He couldn't believe that the man who just deceived him to extract information, one of Kermish's henchmen saved him from being decapitated.

The older half-elf didn't answer at first, after what seemed some minutes he turned to them, an angry look on his face.

"If this world got threaten because of this I swear I'll hunt you all down!", with a last glance he thrust his sword in the ground, chanting a spell.

"Wait!", Lloyd called running to him.

The white crystal in the hilt of Merilius' sword shone with a bright flash, making Lloyd and everybody else cover their eyes by the second time that night. When the flash disappeared, Merilius wasn't there anymore.

The group looked to the point where he was, questions and confusion racing trough their minds. Lloyd was the only one who dared to break the silence:

"Damn. Just who is that guy?"


	19. About Missions and Love

Wow, this is the biggest chapter I write until now. Well considering that it has another big Shelloy moment in it!

I won't talk (write in this case) too much to not spoil the surprise, but pardon me if this chapter isn't too much good. I'm not that good in write romance scenes, but I really tried hard here.

So, hope that you enjoy! Let the Shelloyd fans come!!!

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**About Missions and Love**

Merilius stormed out of Kermish's room, stomping around the base constructed with the technology he heard Kermish stealth from Welgaia's data terminals.

Fuming at the remainder of the talk he just had with the ancient Chosen, it was a luck that nobody was around to taunt him or someone could have just met his end at the point of Merilius' sword.

"_I'm starting to lose my patience Kermish. I have fulfilled my part of our deal and made that stupid errands and disgusting missions for you, but I haven't seen you do anything for fulfill our part. Instead of it, the Devil's Arms started to possess them.", Merilius had to control himself to not shout at the dark mage._

"_But I have helped you to track down the weapons, but what can I do if they guarded it in the Renegade's base? Do you just expect I go there and ask: 'Hi! I heard you have some cursed weapons that belongs to a friend of mine, could you give it back?'", Kermish said in his characteristic mocking tone. Merilius hated that tone, it just showed how the ancient Chosen didn't care anything about his mission and burden. "Besides, how could I know that little spirit of yours would start to posses them?"_

_Kermish didn't hide the hope in his voice that Lloyd and the others really got possessed by Nebilim. Merilius knew that to him it would even be better, one obstacle less in his way. _

_Sighing in irritation, Merilius tried once again made him see the gravity of the situation:_

"_Kermish, I'm pretty sure that if you know the Devil's Arms you know what Nebilim is capable of. Can't you see it? We're running against the time.", Kermish didn't make any signal that he was paying attention. Merilius started to get really annoyed now. "If we don't do something, the things that he can do, the innocents that can paid for..."_

"_Merilius, I already heard you give this speech thousand of times before. Get right to the point.", Kermish said with a bothered tone. Merilius exploded. _

"_I'M SAYING IS THAT HE CAN SURLY KILL ALL OF US AND ANY OTHER WHO STAND IN HIS WAY! IF YOU CARE ABOUT EVEN YOUR LIFE, YOU SHOULD BE HELPING ME!!!"_

_Merilius started to pant, he shouted at all his lungs. Kermish stood in his place, the fact that one of his subordinates shout at him seemed to not bother him. On the contrary, he seemed to be amused._

_Using a now serious tone that was capable of send chills down through the spine of any of his henchmen, Kermish said:_

"_First of all, watch your tone with me, I don't want to finish with the last of your kind.", Kermish gave an emphasis to "kind". Merilius got startled. Did he know? "Second, yes I know what that spirit is capable of, but soon we will have all the expheres and then even he will be far from being a threat."_

_Merilius just couldn't believe in what he was hearing. How could someone be so naive? He didn't have idea of what he was talking about. Many underestimated Nebilim before and even in his spirit state he was able to show to them how he could turn someone's life a living hell._

"_You don't have any idea of what you're...", the magic swordsman started, but was interrupted._

"_No. You don't have idea of what I'm just about to reach. Soon I will have all that I need to forge the new element. An element that even Nebilim will be unable to comprehend.", Kermish said almost in a dreaming, insane tone while dark sparks flowed from his fists._

_Merilius knew that tone, Kermish always used that when he talk about his "great" plans. The mad idea of a new element, which would bring to him power and knowledge about magic that would make of him the biggest Chosen of ever._

_Merilius never believed in that, when the ancient Chosen told to him. Nobody could copy the work of the Spirits and the Great Tree, but Kermish was completely blind to that._

_Giving up, Merilius walked to leave the room after he spoke:_

"_Instead of chasing impossible and selfish dreams, like you, I'm working to do what is right, but you obviously cannot understand it. If you continued to fail with your part on our deal, I won't see the necessity to continue to work to you."_

_Then the dark-blue haired half-elf left the room, after spoke that sentence in a serious and almost solemn tone. He seemed calm, but it was just a mask. Deep down, it was getting all his self control to not stab Kermish in the heart, using Light Thrust, just to show to him and his damned dark magic the light._

Merilius went to the exit of the base. He couldn't stand the atmosphere of that hideout. While hurrying his step to get out of that place, just one thought ran trough the magic swordsman's mind:

_Where I was with my head when I agreed to help that obsessed, crazed Chosen?!_

- - - - -

Lloyd and his friends entered in the Renegade base of Flanoir, the closest base to Ozette. Regal was caring Presea, since he saw Genis, aside the determination, didn't have enough strength to.

Lloyd looked to his side to see Colette. She was casting constant glances to her unconscious friend, asking again and again to Raine, almost making the half-elven teacher lost her patience, if Presea would be alright. The red clad swordsman then looked to Sheena that realized what he was thinking on.

The female ninja made a nod to him, it was the time to make the things clear.

"Colette...", the blond girl looked to him. "I..."

"Come with me.", Lloyd was interrupted by Yuan, who grab him by the wrist and quickly dragged him away from the others with firm steps.

Colette looked a rather confused just like all the others besides her.

"Yuan what you...?", Lloyd tried to interrogate and release himself, but Yuan was in such hurry pace that he didn't encountered time and strength to do so.

The Seraph didn't respond while dragged Lloyd by the base's corridors until he found the door he was looking for. Pulling his ID card, he passed it in an identifier and the door opened with a click.

The Renegade leader forced the Eternal Swordsman inside. The room had a great, circular, white table with chairs of same color around it, the walls were the same orange color with some designs in blue like all the rest of the base.

Reading the question in Lloyd's face, Yuan said:

"This is one of the conference rooms. We generally use them to interview candidates to the Renegades.", the blue-haired angel explained. "But I'm not here to answer your questions, I'm her for _you_ to answer my questions."

The Seraph then pointed to a chair to Lloyd sit. When the red clad boy tried to protest, Yuan spoke with him in such sharp and dangerous tone that was enough to make even Lloyd's father flinch:

"Sit on this chair NOW!!!", Lloyd obeyed immediately.

Yuan took another chair to himself and put it in Lloyd's front. Looking right in the boy's eye he started:

"Spill it out! Why did you have become so overprotective around Sheena lately?", Lloyd was about to speak when Yuan interrupted him, using that dangerous tone again. "And don't came with that history of 'she's one of my best friends'.", the Seraph said in a cheap imitation of Lloyd's voice tone. "I used to be one of Mithos' best friends and I never throw myself in the way of an ax like you did just to save him, nor he did, so spill it."

The answer of "best friends" was the first thing that came to Lloyd's head, but the example and tone Yuan used made clear that the Seraph wouldn't accept in that. After thinking, Lloyd noticed that, in truth, it wasn't quite all the truth for his behavior. There was times when he risked his life for his friends, but nothing that danger like what he made for Sheena lately.

After some time of thinking, he found nothing what he could say. To get it worse Yuan started to pat his foot on the floor. The constant sound started to get on his nerves until he couldn't stand anymore and spoke:

"I don't know, okay?! I don't know why I did it. I did because it was stronger than me, ok?", Lloyd said. Yuan sighed.

"We can stay here all the day if it's necessary. I won't get out of this room, nor will you, until we find out what's your problem."

Lloyd closed his fists, Yuan talked like he had some short of disease that make him to act like that. Was that wrong to save someone who could be dead at that moment?

Deciding to not use the first words that came to his mind, Lloyd chose the ones that seemed the more "gentle" at the moment:

"And why do you care?", the Eternal Swordsman asked.

"Because the last thing we need is you dead. In the case of you hadn't notice, Kermish and that freak shadow are far too strong tor me and the others face alone. So we need you in one piece."

The answer didn't sound selfish nor it sound like the blue-haired angel just cared about him like he was a weapon or anything of short, it was just the truth and Lloyd knew that. Trying to think again how he felt at that moment, all that Lloyd could remember of was an incredible, strong urge to protect Sheena.

Seeing the brunette angel wasn't having much success, Yuan sighed again and decided to try another tactic:

"Let's then start by the beginning. How do you feel about Sheena?"

Lloyd's face got some red at the direct question, a rather interesting reaction from Yuan's point of view.

"Well... I like her.", he achieved to say.

"How much do you like?"

"I...", the boy couldn't find the words again.

Yuan knew it wasn't going to be easy. He then remembered back of a similar situation, how did they treat that? Remembering, he decided to try it out on the boy.

"Then say to me what you like about her.", a lighter question, it wouldn't be so embarrassed for Lloyd to answer that.

"I like when she try to cheer me up, even thinking she most like said she would shake me by my shoulders if I didn't get better, but I think this is her way of be. I also like to be near her, I felt so comfortable at her side."

Yuan chuckled, but quickly hid it. Lloyd looked to him, confused, but the Seraph just made motion for him to continue.

"I also like to make she laugh or smile, I simple can't stand to see her being upset about something that happened and she couldn't do anything about. Now talking about it, she seems so... pretty when she smiles.", Lloyd talked without think.

More chuckles came from Yuan. This time he had to put his hand on his moth to it didn't escape to the Eternal Swordsman's hearing, but the boy was so distracted now that he failed in notice.

"Sometimes I just want to be near her and when I am I just want to make her happy. She really deserves to be happy, after all that we faced together. There's also times when I can't stop to think about her, but I can't understand wh..."

He couldn't contain it anymore, Yuan let out a great laughter. Lloyd looked to him like the Seraph just went nuts, he never saw Yuan laughing like that. To be honest, he never saw the Renegade leader laugh anyway.

Then the Eternal Swordsman noticed what he was laughing at. Blushing wildly, Lloyd asked, more like demanding an answer:

"What's so funny?"

Yuan laugh by some more time before be able to control himself and catch his breath. Half-laughing he said:

"Haha... Lloyd you can be the one who defeated Mithos and all, but... hahaha! You're the bluntest person I ever saw in all whole my life.", the Seraph said.

Blunt, what did he just want to mean with it? Lloyd already had been called of many things by his whole life, but it was the first time someone called him of that. Seeing the look on Lloyd's face, the Renegade leader explained:

"It's obvious that you're totally fall in love for Sheena.", Yuan finally said.

Realization hit Lloyd like one of Raine's blackboard erasers. Yes he surely liked the ninja in a different way of all his friends, but he never associated this with love, maybe because the word never made much significance for him in that matter.

He started to think in those words. Yes, he liked to be close to her, he liked to see her smile... he liked that so much. With her he felt like he could talk about anything without fear a scold or reprobation, even if he knew he would get one from her.

Sheena always was kind for him and always tried to make him happy. She wasn't the type of woman that waited for him to do something for her or that just was interested in his title and reputation, she always tried to show that she was strong enough to do anything without help and always tried to help the others no matter who they are.

The Eternal Swordsman blushed even more when he pictured a mental image of her smiling and laughing. Man, he liked that so much.

Seeing the expression on Lloyd's face, Yuan couldn't help but laugh more, this time a little more down.

"You know, your father took as much time as you to realize he liked Anna. When I told to him how oblivious he was he just talk about me and Martel and that I took the same time until I get courage to talk to her.", Yuan looked blankly at the ceiling, at the remembrance of the old good times.

"But... then... what do I do?", Lloyd asked, seemed even more confused than the usual.

"Isn't that obvious? Go and talk to her how you feel.", Lloyd murmured something like: "you talk like it's easy". "Ok, I know that it can be some of difficult, so spend some time to think on how you will talk to her. Don't worry in the case of new expheres appear. I and the others can take care of it. Just solve this little problem of yours. But if you appear in my front again without got it settled I swear I'll beat you so much that it will make that slaps Sheena gives on Zelos soft."

Yuan lifted his fist to the level of Lloyd's face, showing that he was completely willingly to make that.

Understanding the implied cheering up, Lloyd nodded. As soon as he encountered the words he would talk with her...

- - - - -

Some minutes after the talk he and Lloyd just had, Yuan made his way to his office in that base. Sighing heavily, he thought:

_Like father, like son. I'm starting to see how they look alike._

When he opened the door of his office he encountered Raine sit on one of the chairs near the front of his table.

With an interrogative look to the woman, Yuan went to his chair and sit. The half-elf teacher then asked:

"About what did you talk with Lloyd?"

"Nothing, just a little love problem of his.", Raine arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"Aside the fact that you just talk about my student be in love with someone, I didn't know that you cared about his relationships."

Yuan chuckled again, shaking his head. He forgot that sometimes the half-elven woman cared the young dual swordsman and scolded him much like a mother.

"I don't care like that about him. I just don't want he dead.", Raine nodded, getting his point. Yuan continued. "But why are you here? I'm certain you don't come just to ask me this."

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about something. Did you noticed the patterns on Merilius' sword when he fought against Diablos?", Yuan nodded, he had took a good sigh of the patterns at the blade before. "Those patterns are ancient elven writing. If I'm not wrong the translation would be: 'By the light that guides this world, the evil shall fall, like the ones who gave their hearts to the darkness. Children of the Light, as long as you maintain the light in your hearts, this blade shall protect it.'"

Yuan heard the words carefully, noticing a slight tone of power coming from them. It wasn't just a memento or a dedicatory, it seemed more like an enchantment. He remembered of ancient stories that he heard when he was children. Stories about weapons of great power forged by the dwarves and enchanted with the strongest elven spells. Some said that a few were blessed by the Summon Spirits, what made those weapons the most special that anyone could encounter in that world.

"I think you just realized the same I did. The runes carved on the blade seem to be one of the enchantments described in the ancient stories. If that sword is really one of those weapons then it must be..."

"A Runeblade.", Yuan completed her sentence. "But I heard the dwarves and elves ceased to produce them when words of the Kharlan War started to spread. The last weapon that you could classify like a Runeblade by these days would be the Eternal Sword. I also heard that all the spare Runeblades that both elves and dwarves' possession were destroyed when the war began."

"Then it brings to us the question of how does Merilius achieved to get one if no other Runeblade has been produced by all these years? The most logical way for him to have one would be if it was a family inheritance." Yuan considered that. This just brought more questions than answers.

The seraph thought back at the fight they witness. That blade had an incredible power of light element on it. He could only remember of one person who possess that type of power using mana of light...

- - - - -

The afternoon went and gone, with everybody taking some sleep from the events of the last day. Result: they were all awake in that night.

Genis was in the nursery area, watching over a sleeping Presea. The doctor that worked there said she was all right, but much of her mana was used to break the spell she had been under.

Knowing she was out of danger, Genis relaxed a little, but he didn't let her side. He wouldn't do so until she woke so he could saw her eyes and talk with her again.

In another part of the base, someone was also thinking about a girl. Incapable of decide what he would say, Lloyd decided to just go to Sheena and then thought about how he would tell to her.

When he arrived at the door of her room in that base he knocked. None response later, he assumed she had gone around the base, maybe in the academy there. She liked to train with the other Renegades (some by the pleasure of kick their asses, like she described to him one time).

At the way, Lloyd heard voices in the corridor. He felt his heart almost jump out of his chest when he heard Sheena's voice:

"By the last time, leave me alone Zelos.", she said, Lloyd identified another voice: the red headed Chosen.

"Ok, ok, I'll leave. I just wanted to...", he was interrupted by Sheena, her voice started to sound irritated.

"I know what you want, but I'm not capable of forgive you yet. You just insulted me in the front of half of Meltokio's nobility. I don't know what bug bit you, but..."

"Bug?! Sheena can't you see it?! I... I love you!", he declared.

A deadly silence fell to the scene. Lloyd almost fell at that sentence, then one of his friends also liked her... loved her. What could he do now? Fight with Zelos for her? He couldn't imagine himself disputing a girl with someone else, much less one of his friends.

Sheena also seemed mute at what the red headed Chosen just said. After some time she said:

"I... I didn't know... I... no. No, it's not right!", she exclaimed, Lloyd now paid attention to the conversation more than never before. "Sorry Zelos, but I'm not capable of love you like that. You're a friend to me at the max, nothing more than it. Sorry..."

Lloyd heard her footsteps, Sheena was coming to his direction and he couldn't find a place to hide before she reached him. A gasp was heard and Lloyd found himself looking at her surprised eyes.

Not knowing what to say in that situation Lloyd stood silent, until Sheena was the first to break the awkward silence with a question:

"Did you... did you hear that?", she asked, looking into his eyes, Lloyd looked to hers and nodded saying "sorry". "No, don't apologize. I know I hurt him, but I couldn't lie, not about this. For now, it's better I stay out of sight until he can clear his head."

The female ninja looked back to the corridor she just left, none signal of Zelos. He should have backed to his room or something, but she was sure she was the last person he needed to see right now.

Lloyd didn't know what to think, for one side he was happy she didn't like him that way, for another he felt sorry for his friend discover his crush didn't like him how a man like a woman. What should he think?

Noticing what the red clad boy could be thinking, Sheena decided to change the subject:

"Hum, do you want to go to see the sky and the sea? I heard they built a platform outside the base that gives a good sight to it."

Lloyd nodded. Sheena then leaded the way, following the instructions some Renegades gave to her sometime ago. Passing by some corridors they found large metal doors.

Opening the doors, they found themselves in a metal platform with metal fences and two small benches. Sheena was right, the platform was above the level of the rocks that decorate the region and give to them a good sight of the nocturne sea.

The summoner and the Eternal Swordsman sit in one of the benches, close to one another. None of them talked by some time, just admiring the scenario. Getting tired of that situation, Sheena was the first to speak:

"Say Lloyd, if you don't like of Colette in a special way, who do you like?", she decided to finally try to ask that. Lloyd blushed in a similar way of Genis when someone talked about him and Presea.

"Well... hum... I....", he tried to talk, but the words didn't reach his mouth. Why was that so difficult?

He looked to the female ninja again. She titled her head in an interrogative way. Lloyd found that she got really pretty when she did that.

Realizing she wouldn't get any answer that way, Sheena decided to try another:

"Ok. Then I will talk to you of who I like then you talk to me who is the girl you like, 'kay?", Lloyd now looked really nervous.

What if she liked another one? What if she didn't like him? Those questions ran trough the Eternal Swordsman mind so fast that he almost didn't catch her next words.

"The guy that I like is someone really special to me. I always felt comfortable at his side and with him I felt I can be myself, without have to worry about how he will judge my actions. Sometimes he's gentle and kind and other times a complete idiot.", the word "idiot" caught Lloyd's attention. He already heard she called many people she liked of idiot, the most of the time she called Zelos like that, but she just talked that she didn't love him. So who could be? "He's also strong and is such an idealist sometimes. And he is very handsome with the smile of his. Well that's it, your round."

The red clad boy started to sweat. How could he tell her that it was her he liked? He started then to say the words that came to him.

"She's... a great person. I helped her several times and she always tried to help me in return. She's someone that doesn't depend on the others that likes to show what she can do to help. She's pretty, really pretty, but that's not all, she is also kind when she wants, serious when she have to... I think I could stand all the night long talking about her.", Lloyd finished, he already was running out of words, he simple didn't know how to describe all that Sheena represented to him.

"Wow. The way you talk it's like she's some kind of goddess to you."

"No, she's not a goddess. I know that she also have her fails, everybody has, but she try to correct these fails. This is other thing I like on her."

The female ninja stayed there, looking to the skies. she couldn't help be felt some of scared by all that Lloyd say. What if wasn't she that he was describing? She certainly wasn't half of what he had say, at least not by her vision.

Looking to the ground to hide her fears and thoughts, the summoner asked again:

"So... could you at least give me the name of the lucky girl?", she tried to smile, but couldn't.

Again Lloyd's mouth got more dry than Triet desert. He stood and walked to the fence, leaning against it, with hopes the sea breeze could refresh his brain. Looking below, he came up with an idea.

"I can even show her to you.", Sheena looked to him, confused. "Just come over here and look below.", Lloyd said, now finally recovering the ability to smile.

Still confused, Sheena stood and went to him. Leaning over the fence of the platform, she looked below. There was the sea, reflecting the moon and the platform with their figures over the fence.

"I just see your reflection and mine.", she said.

"So, there's it. Sheena, you. You, Sheena.", the Eternal Swordsman said, with his trademark smile.

The female ninja almost fell at that. She couldn't hold herself, but laughed at that. That was the strangest way of someone to show to one that this person was his loved one that she could ever think.

"Hum... did I do something wrong?", Lloyd asked at seeing she laugh. Did he spoil the things up with that idea?

"No, it's not that. It's just that I never heard about anyone that said they love a person by introducing her to her own reflection.", Sheena said, smiling and stepping closer to him.

"I think I'm just not too much good at these things.", Lloyd said, scratching the back of his head.

Sheena now was so close to him that he could feel the heat emanating from her body. She touched his face, her touch was so soft and gentle that Lloyd felt almost like in a dream. A welcoming, good dream after had a really tiring day of battles.

Sheena also was feeling like that. She leaned close to his head while whispered:

"To me it what was just the best declaration that I already saw...", the next words were never heard, because they were never necessary.

Sheena and Lloyd kissed each other, with such passion that they thought just existed in that fairytale stories they heard when they were child. If it was a fairytale, then none of them would ever want to go back to reality.

That night was just too perfect for both of them. Nothing could spoil that. Not the battles that would come, nor that infernal shadow of Nebilim, nothing. That night was of them and they would prove of each other's love without worry with the tomorrow...


	20. Through the Eyes of the Evil

Now let's see the aftermath of the last chapter.

There was some parts here I originaly plan to put in the last chapter, but I couldn't bring myself to spoil that special moment of our favorite Eternal Swordsman and Summoner. Also a warning: this is another dark chapter, so watch out!

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Through the Eyes of the Evil**

"Sir. There, the results of the analyses.", Denvir said, entering in Yuan's office while he and Raine were there discussing about the last happenings.

Deciding they wouldn't find any answers by just staying there talking, Yuan took the results and read. A grumble came from his lips.

"What did they discover?", Raine asked, she was curious to know more about the weapons, even thinking the objects were causing a great deal of trouble to them.

"Nothing. They simple discovered nothing. They tried to use all the weapons they could remember of and even put the Devil's Arms in a chamber that simulates an atmosphere without mana, but it simple didn't affect the weapons. They tried even to extract some samples, but the weapons are harder than diamond and myrthrill combined.", Yuan said, throwing the papers on his desk while massaging his forehead.

There were more tests described in the report, but all had the same result: the weapons weren't affected by anything they possessed. The report also included a note that they would try to collect the energy that the accursed items emanated in hopes it could give to them some clues about the powers of the Devil's Arms.

"Well, if you let me investigate the weapons I could use some of my tools and...", Raine suggested, with a gleam in her eyes that Lloyd and the others knew very well.

Yuan was told about that, but it was the first time he saw Raine in her "Ruin-mode". He concluded that really made the half-elven teacher seemed some of scary.

"No Raine, you won't touch in those things. If it converted Presea, I don't want to even see what it can make to you and the others.", the Renegade angel said.

"But...", she tried to protest, but Yuan again maintained his position. She wouldn't touch in the accursed items.

"Hum... sir.... I also heard that the ship with our supplies just arrived. Do you want I go to unload?", Denvir asked, also some of afraid by that demonstration of Raine's great curiosity.

Deciding it would be better he got out of that room before the half-elven woman started to insist again, Yuan said he would go to help to unload by himself. When his boss exited the room, Denvir tried to follow, but a voice stopped him:

"So Denvir, for how much time did you work with the Renegades?", the second in command turned to Raine, uncertain if he should answer her question.

"Well... as much as I can remember. I was with them since Botta got the post of second I think."

"And being part of the organization you certainly know about somethings that Cruxis maintained in their data banks, like historical happenings and things of short?", the half-elven woman asked, her eyes shining now.

Sensing the danger, Denvir answered while he slowly approached of the door:

"Hum... I could say I know one thing or another about it but...", he tried to turn to go, but Raine was faster and stood at the front of the door. In that moment Denvir realized that he really should have go with Yuan and not even his training could have prepared him for what was coming.

"Could you answer some of my questions?", Raine asked with a nice smile, which just made the half-elven commander got more worried...

- - - - -

She stood there, struck on her place while watching the scene that she never thought one day would see. Lloyd kissing Sheena, the two seemed like a couple of her childhood stories and that was the greatest shock of all her life.

Colette wanted to go there and make it stop. She wanted to scream to they both stop, but her body didn't obey, all her senses were also struck while the truth played in her mind again and again:

_He loves her... he loves Sheena and she couldn't do anything about this._

Regaining the control of her legs, Colette did the only thing she could think: she ran. She ran from that place and through the corridors of the base. She didn't know to where, but the blond Chosen wanted to go as far as she could from there, from that scene which just slashed at her heart.

Tears fell while she made her way to the base's exit. She didn't care about the tears. She just wanted to run, to disappear from there.

Then the blond girl hit someone and it made her fell. A shocked voice came from up:

"Colette? What you're doing outside here and... are you crying?!", it was Yuan.

Colette didn't answer, she just stayed at the ground. Suddenly she got up and tried to run, but Yuan held her wrist, he wasn't understanding a thing of what was happening.

"Colette wait. Where do you think you will go?", he achieved to ask, trying to prevent the girl from got away.

"Let me go!", she shout, more tears coming from her eyes.

She didn't want to talk, she just wanted to go as far as she could from that base, from that scene. Colette tried to use her angelic strength to release herself, but Yuan also used his to maintain her there. Why did the former Seraphim care?

"Colette, you can't go alone like this. Kermish stills out there, you could got yourself in great danger wandering alone.", he said while stilled to hold her wrist, not bothered by the fact he had to use his superhuman strength to prevent her from go.

"I... don't... care... I... just... want... to got... away... from here.", the blond angel said, trying to pull her hand from Yuan's grip.

Seeing he wouldn't let her go, Colette fell to her knees, crying and sobbing. Yuan knelled at her side. What was happening? He never saw she drop a single tear before, even when the Renegades and Cruxis threatened her or her friends and now she was crying like there wasn't a tomorrow.

The Renegade's leader stayed there, waiting for the girl to recover enough to speak. After what seemed many minutes, the sobs diminished.

"Could you tell to me what happened?", Yuan asked. "Maybe I can help."

Colette didn't understand why he, from all the people, was caring about her. She wasn't so strong like Lloyd to be that important. Lloyd... the memory of him kissing Sheena came back to her mind, bringing an almost unbearable pain to her heart.

"Llo... Lloyd...", she started to say, she didn't know why she was talking that to Yuan, but maybe, with all the disgraces in his life, he would understand her.

"What? What Lloyd have to do with this? Did he got attacked or something?!", Yuan asked, fearing the worst.

"N... no... he's alright...", Colette replied, sobbing again while more tears fell.

Lloyd was alright? If it wasn't that, then what could it be? He knew the blond Chosen and the Eternal Swordsman were great friends since their childhood. If he wasn't attacked then what could have happened with him to make Colette cry like that?

"If he's alright, then why are you crying?", Yuan asked.

"He... he doesn't... like me... he doesn't.... love me.... he chose... Sheena instead...", the next words were covered by more sobs and crying. Yuan stayed dumbstruck by the phrase.

_Oh great, now more this one!,_ he thought, not bothered, but angry at himself by had forgotten that.

So many times he heard about how she looked to Lloyd from Zelos, when the red headed Chosen worked as a spy for him. He had even saw that by himself some days back, yet he completely forgot that when he talked with Lloyd. Yuan didn't need to ask anything more to know what could have happened.

The way Colette stilled crying was sufficient to anybody, no matter how hard or cold hearted could be, felt pity on the girl. What made it worse was to know that indirectly he contributed to this.

Knowing nothing that he spoke could make she felt better, Yuan did the only thing he knew he could: he took her head and placed it gently on his shoulder while tapping her back, like saying to the young angel that everything would be alright.

Colette didn't make anything against the blue haired angel's gesture, in fact she felt some of better by that. After what seemed one hour, she ceased to sob and the tears started to dry.

Whipping her eyes, Colette left her position from Yuan's shoulders. Seeing this, the Seraph stood and helped her to stand. The two stayed there, with an awkward silence between them. Colette looked to the ground, her face was sad. Yuan decided to try to make her react:

"Now, I know I'm not exactly a friend, but I know how you're feeling.", he said. Colette turned her eyes from the ground to him.

"Really?", she asked, in a cold tone, completely unusual for her.

"Yes. I experienced quite the same thing when I lost Martel. From times to times I use to remember about her.", Yuan said, touching the ring in one of his right hand's fingers.

He didn't know what exactly to say to her. In truth he knew that she was in great pain, but he simple didn't know what advice give. How could he give an advice about love disappointment to a girl when he allied with an insane, psychotic little boy when he lost his wife?

"It's just... my heart pains so much... and I thought...", this time she didn't cry, because her eyes were already dry, but Yuan knew if she could she would have.

"Let's enter first. The weather here isn't very gentle at night.", he said, putting a hand on her shoulders and leading her inside.

Yuan decided to guide her to her room that would be more comfortable to talk. During all the way Colette remained silent, which only made the Renegade leader apprehensive. It wasn't of her to be that silent, Colette always tried to lighten the atmosphere around her by talking about good things. Again he remembered why she was that way. What could he do?

They arrived at Colette's room and opened the door. Her room was similar to the ones of her friends and Yuan's. A comfortable bed, few furnitures to guard her clothes and personal objects and a communicator in the wall.

Colette sat on her bed while Yuan sat on her side. He didn't know what to say, so he started asking what he thought could help her:

"Do you want to talk with some of your friends? Maybe Raine or Regal could help you, they seem be better on this than me."

"No.", Colette answered in that cold tone sufficient to even the former Seraph felt a chill in his spine.

"Well... maybe then... do you want I call Lloyd? I think if you two talk he surely have a good explanation for all of this. I'm sure he never meant to hurt you, considering the way he always try to save you when you're in danger."

The blond angel gave to him a sad look with watery eyes. In that moment Yuan noticed that the red clad boy was last person she wanted to talk. Cursing himself for his stupidness, the former Seraphim tried to think on another thing, he was being worst in it than Lloyd when him tried to figure out his feelings.

"Am I a pathetic person?", Colette asked out of nowhere. The blue haired half-elf looked to her with a confused expression. "Am I so pathetic that nobody would even like of me?", she asked again, now looking him in the eyes.

"No, you're not. You are a good person Colette. You're a better person than I ever could be and you have friends. Genis, Raine, Zelos, Presea, Regal they all like you, I can assure this.", the Renegade leader said, trying to avoid Lloyd's and Sheena's names. "Now, I think it would be better if you got some rest. Tomorrow you probably can be thinking better."

Colette murmured an "ok". Rest seemed to be a good idea now. Maybe tomorrow she would be willing to talk with someone. Yuan walked to the communicator in the wall and pointed to a blue button.

"If you need anything just press this button and I will send someone or if you just want to talk I'll come."

"Ok. Thanks...", Colette murmured.

Yuan exited from her room, leaving her alone. The blond Chosen lied in her bed, waiting for the sleep to come. The room was silent and dark, since Yuan turned off the lights.

Colette closed her eyes. She stilled feeling that pain... the pain that vision caused, but she knew she couldn't anything about it.

_Lloyd chose Sheena... he chose her._, that thought played on her mind again and again, bringing great pain to her heart. She just wished that it didn't pain so much. She would give anything to that pain to stop.

_Colette..._

A voice called her name. The young girl opened her eyes and looked around, there was nobody in the room, beside her.

"Yuan?", she asked, waiting it was the Renegade leader that came to check if she was alright.

_Colette..._

The voice called again. It wasn't Yuan's voice, nor it seemed like any of her friend's voice. It was coming from a chest nearby, where she guarded some of her weapons and armors. She stood and walked slowly to the chest.

_Colette..._

She opened the lock and took a look inside. Searching through the various chackrans inside, until she found something strange. She pulled it out and looked: it was the Evil Eye. She didn't remembered that she left it in the chest.

Gazing at the orb in the middle of the chackran that remembered an eye, she felt an strange sensation. Suddenly the eye focused on her.

_I see you._

Colette's body froze and she felt like her soul was ripped out of her body. Incapable of even scream, she fell to the floor. Her eyes were devoid of any emotion, but fear...

- - - - -

Regal exited from the base's academy with a towel on his shoulders. He didn't find anything to do so he thought it would be a good idea he exercised himself to maintain the shape, after all they needed to be in excellent condition to fight against Kermish and his lackeys.

While he walked back to his room he crossed with Zelos. The red headed Chosen was staring at the ground while walked, not paying attention to where he went. The blue haired President also noticed a tear in his eyes.

_Strange it's not of him to cry and walk like this._, Regal thought. Deciding it was better he try to help, Regal called him. Zelos looked up and a second after put his habitual smile on his face.

"Oh, hi Regal. What's up?", Tethe'alla's Chosen One asked.

"I would ask to you the same question, why are you crying?"

Zelos then noticed he had a tear running trough his cheek. Wiping it away he tried to disguise:

"It was nothing. Just an ice flock that fell in my eye."

"Ice flock, uh? Zelos, do I look like someone that would buy such a lie? Why don't you talk what's worrying you, maybe I can help."

"You? Help me? Ha! What makes you think I need any help?"

Instead of answer that, Regal just looked to Zelos with a serious glance. Not capable of supporting the eye contact, the pervert angel looked to the other side, trying to not stare into Regal's blue eyes and denunciate what was making him to be in that state.

"Zelos?", the blue haired man asked in a serious tone.

"Ok, ok, I'll say. It's Sheena."

"Did she slap you again? But you never seemed to mind."

Regal remembered of the uncountable times that the red headed Chosen got slapped by Sheena. If he could count it, the result number would be higher than the number of employers in Lezareno, but Zelos never seemed to be bothered by the slaps, punches and/or elbows.

"Yeah I know, but this time she just crushed my heart.", the red headed Chosen said in a sad tone. When Regal shot an interrogative look to him, Zelos explained. "I just declared that I love her and she rejected me saying that she didn't feel the same. But I know the truth, she just want to stay away from me... she hates me. Well I can't blame on her after what I done to her in the Princess' birthday party."

Regal understood the gravity of situation, but he never imagined that Zelos could feel this type of affection for the female ninja. By all his flirts he assumed the Chosen felt attraction for her figure, but nothing more than it.

"Zelos, are you sure what you felt for her is love?", Regal asked in an analyzing way.

"Of course it is! I never felt like this for any other woman.", Zelos replied.

"It's nothing personal, but by the type of relationships you seem to maintain with the opposite sex and by the twisted relation on your family it's possible that you misunderstood love with affection.", the blue haired President said in a wise way.

Zelos seemed indignant, he knew what he felt and if it was not love then he didn't know what it could be. But he had to recognize that Regal was right in some points. Everybody in his life always approached him with some interest in his title or influence, not by the person he was. Even his parents avoided him because of their duties and their own relationship.

Then he met Sheena. She didn't mind that he was the Chosen or anything of short, she just minded of how he acted and who he was. He remembered that when he met her the first time he already decided to take advantage of his position and the attention he received before anyone more used it.

"There's an easy way to know if what you feel is love. Just tell me what you like in her and how you feel about her.", Zelos found that some of strange. Could Regal really say what he feel was love or not by he talking that? Seeing the confused expression in the Chosen's face the blue haired adult explained. "There's always some similarities when people feel love. I know it by own experience."

The pervert angel then remembered that Regal had a relationship with Presea's younger sister. Deciding it wouldn't make the things worst, Zelos accepted the test:

"What I like about her... well actually anyone could see it. She's just the most beautiful woman that I saw. She have a cute smile. She was the first person that looked to me not like the Chosen One, but just like who I am and she never stopped of believe that I could be a better person, even when I didn't believe in it."

"That's all?", Regal asked, Zelos nodded saying it was all he could remember. "Then let me say that what you feel isn't love. It's more gratitude than love properly said or even a light crush.", Zelos looked ready to reply, but Regal talked again. "Love is when we want someone to be happy, no matter if this person would reject us or not, even if you prefer it would be you to make her happy. Love is when we felt comfortable at the side of the person and want her to be comfortable at our side. Resuming: love is when we want to be happy at someone's side and that this person feels happy with us."

His words hit Zelos harder than any of the Pope's scolds. In fact he didn't feel anything near that about Sheena and thinking on Regal's words he found that he really felt grateful by how Sheena treated him like an equal, even considering that meant slaps, punches and/or elbows.

Feeling some of ashamed by his previous behavior and the hard situation that he could have put the female ninja, he felt he needed to go and apologize to her by that.

"I suppose you're right. I'm sorry by involving you in this. I think I should go now and apologize by the situation I put my voluptuous hunny in.", the pervert angel said. Regal sighed. "What? "

"It's good to see that you find out what you really feel about her and that you want to apologize with her, but I don't know if I should be happy by you're be back to your old self or worried.", the blue haired President stated.

"For some reason, I feel this wasn't a compliment."

- - - - -

Colette woke after what seemed some hours to her. She looked around, she was in the middle of darkness and couldn't see anything around, but her own body. The blond angel tried to call her friend's names, even Lloyd's name, but with no success. There was nobody around, there was nothing around.

She was alone and scared. The last thing she remembered was looking to the orb of the Evil Eye and then it looked to her, after that she couldn't remember anything, but a terrible sensation that she didn't know how to describe.

"Alone again, uh?", a voice came from behind her.

Turning around, Colette saw an armored, tall man with red-blood hair, holding the Evil Eye chackran at the front of his face. The man lowered the chackran and she could take a good look on his eyes, they were the same tone of the man's hair, but something in that eyes made she got really worried.

Colette was used to always believe that all people have a good side in them, even if they didn't show it. But that man, she couldn't see any good in his eyes, she just could see shadows and darkness dancing inside the orbs and a gleam that resembles to her the ones that people thirsty for power had, it was so intense that she couldn't see anything besides it.

"Don't keep staring at me like that or you may see something you won't like.", the man said with a smile, in an hypnotic and venous tone.

Colette didn't like his tone, she felt like it was piercing her soul. She ran from the man. After what seemed some time running she took a look back, no signal of the man. Turning to her front she stopped dead in her tracks. The man was there, waiting for her. Did he know teleport magic?

"Trying to go to some place? I'm afraid you won't exit from here until we talk.", he said, in a somewhat laughing tone, almost like Colette's attempt of escape amused him.

Taking a better look to the man's face, Colette noticed his pointy ears. He was an elf or maybe a half-elf, but that doesn't matter. The only thing she knew is that she didn't like that man and she was certainly he was the one that locked her in that place.

The blond Chosen tried to search for her chackrans, but she couldn't find them. Of course, she wasn't with any weapon when she collapsed at Flanoir's base.

"Oh, searching for a weapon? Here, try this one.", he threw the Evil Eye to Colette, who caught the weapon. Looking a moment to the accursed item she didn't know if she should threw it away or use. "Don't worry I have another.", he said. Colette looked some confused, it was obvious she wasn't afraid to the stranger defend himself. "Now about our business..."

"I don't have anything to talk with you, let me go!", she threw the chackran at him. The strange elf caught the weapon with ease, like she didn't try to launch it to harm him.

"Oh, why the violence? Still upset because your friend rejected and betrayed you?", she looked to him with wide eyes. "Yes, I know why you're like this. I know everything about you Colette Brunnel... your fears, your worries. I have observed you by quite some time and I must say I never saw someone that try so hard to hide his heart."

The man started to approach her. Colette tried to run again, but when she turned she hit the man and fell backwards while the stranger stood. Offering his hand to help her get up, the elf tried to show a smile, but this only made the blond angel want to get the more distant she could from him.

Standing again, Colette showed her wings and prepared to fight with her bare hands if it was necessary. The man didn't seem surprised by the fact she was an angel, maybe he really knew something about her.

"Do you really want this? Fight with me won't make the pain in your heart go away.", as he talked, Colette felt a sudden pain in her chest, but it was more intense, it was excruciating. She knelled, clutching her chest like trying to control it. "You know what is it, don't you? It's the pain of your rejection, it's the pain of his treason... of Lloyd's treason."

"He didn't betrayed me. He just...", she tried to say, but pain intensified stopping her from finish the sentence.

"Chose another over you? He knew what you felt about him and he decided to betray you. If you don't believe me, then take a look at this.", the strange elf opened his hand and pointed the palm to his back. The pain in Colette's chest diminished, allowing her to stand, but didn't leave her.

A great scene materialized, it showed Lloyd in his house, talking with Sheena. He seemed to be confused, Colette then heard what he was saying and her jaw almost fell:

_Sometimes I feel like she was... waiting something more from me. In the begging I didn't notice it, but now I can see it. I... I don't know what I should do._

The man then made the image disappear, before she could hear the rest. Tears started to roll from Colette's eyes again. So it was true, Lloyd knew what she felt for him and even so he betrayed her with Sheena. She just couldn't believe in that... she didn't want to believe.

Colette shook her head while mumbled to herself:

"No. He wouldn't do this.... he never...", tears stilled rolling from her eyes. She wanted to think the image was an illusion, but the expressions and the tone matched with the real Lloyd.

"Poor, gentle Colette... you give all for him, you almost sacrificed yourself for him to be happy and how he returns it? He betrays you with the one you think was your friend.", the man said, his voice sounded more venous than never. Colette drank every of his words, she tried to cover her ears, but his voice was echoing in her head. "Why care about this people for them only to hurt you in return? Why fight for them? Why love them? In the end, you're always alone. It doesn't matter if you're an angel or human, they all leave you and in the end it's you who suffer."

The young angel knelled, still holding her head while the strange elf's voice echoed in her head. The tears didn't stop of roll because of the pain and because of the feeling that man was really telling the truth. Could all that she did be futile? Her sacrifices, her fights, did she do all that just to be rejected and hurt in the end?

In one thing she had to concur with that creepy elf, she was alone. Even if she escaped from there, she wouldn't have for who return. Lloyd didn't want her and she didn't have anyone. She would just return to Iselia and stand there for the rest of her life, thinking in the betrayal of her best friend. Eventually she would end alone. Alone and suffering, like she suffered during the Regeneration Journey.

The man knelled besides Colette and wiped one of her tears. He held her chin gently and made she look to his face:

"Sweet Colette... you shouldn't suffer like this. But don't worry, I can make this pain and suffering to go away.", now she started to pay attention to his words. "There's a way for you to don't stay alone anymore, to you don't suffer because of this loneliness and rejection anymore."

"H-how...?", Colette asked with some hope.

"Come with me. Turn into the soulless vessel that you're supposed to be... that you born to be.", Colette didn't know what to think. That seemed so wrong, but at the same time the idea seemed to be the only way for her to stop to feel that excruciating pain. "What you have to lose? Your friends already betrayed you and you don't have anybody to return to, so why have feelings if it'll just make you suffer? It'll be so much better if you simple throw it away."

His words seemed so truthful for her and she didn't find anything that she could say to deny it. Why have feelings if it just will make she suffer indeed? The man stood and offered his hand to her, whispering:

"Come. Embrace the darkness and you'll find the peaceful, comfortable slumber inside it.", she took the elf's hand, standing and he opened his arms like to receive her. Colette came to him and received his embrace, feeling everything left her... the pain... the sorrow... the happiness... everything... even her own heart...


	21. Pain and Hate

Woot, none test in my college by two weeks! Well, I still have to study withstand, but a time without pressure it's a time without pressure, don't you agreed?!

Anyway, did you think the round of dark chapters ended with that last one? Think again! Here we have more about Colette's passession. Now I know some of you really did not like her and can think she was some of weak by hidden things inside her heart AGAIN and give up of her soul another time. But remember people: after all Colette is human and we humans have the tendency to commit the biggest mistakes. So don't flame on her and, mainly, don't flame on me!

Let's get on with this.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**Pain and Hate**

Lloyd and Sheena entered in the cafeteria of Flanoir base, holding their hands and smiling to each other. Yuan and the others that were eating their breakfast stopped when spotted Lloyd and Sheena entering.

The two lovers stared at their friends, who were looking at them.

"Hum... is everybody okay?", Lloyd tried to say, but he was really embarrassed to have them all looking at him.

"So, this was your little 'problem'.", Raine said, with a slight smile on her face.

"Well...", Lloyd didn't know what to say. Raine chuckled at the expression of her former student.

Zelos stood and walked to the two, a serious expression in his face. Sheena couldn't help, but think it couldn't be so good. If the Chosen really did like her he could start a fight with Lloyd for her and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Zelos, I...", the female ninja started, but Zelos held his hand making signal to she not interrupt.

"First, let me apologize.", Sheena's jaw fell. She waited anything from him in this situation, but apologizes was one of the last. "I'm sorry for the situation I put you in. The truth was that I mixed up the things. I confused gratitude with love, so I hope you can forgive me."

Lloyd was also startled, Zelos had said that he liked Sheena with so much conviction that Lloyd doubted he wasn't sure of what he was saying. He couldn't help, but sigh in relief.

Sheena didn't know what to say. Zelos was looking to her with a hopeful look, he really waited she accepted his excuses. Then he changed his expression to puppy eyes. It could be some of funny in another situation, but for her it was almost as he was begging for her forgiveness.

"Ok, I forgive you. I don't see point in we still with this.", she said. Zelos smiled, the first true smile that he gave by what seemed a long time. "One more thing.", Sheena said. Then, without the Chosen wait or have how to defend himself, she slapped him, leaving a red mark on his cheek. "Now we're quit for that night."

Everybody gasped at that, but they soon fell in laugh at seeing Zelos' expression. Now the things turned back to normal.

Lloyd and Sheena sat with the others and took some food to them. Zelos sat besides Lloyd and started to ask:

"So how is it? I'm sure Sheena must be pretty hot.", Zelos asked with that characteristic smile of his, which Sheena and the others knew so well.

The ninja shot a dangerous glare at the Chosen.

"What? I'm just congratulating Lloyd. He's really a lucky guy.", Zelos said, some of sweating by her look. When she turned to her plate, Zelos turned to Lloyd again. "Seriously how is it?"

"Zelos, I just said I love her. I don't want to make her angry so soon and it's not of your concern, okay?."

"Okay, okay. I know how she can be a real banshee sometimes."

That was it. Sheena stood, ready to go to Zelos' seat and slap him until he got totally red, but for her surprise and everybody else around Lloyd hit Zelos at the back of his head, making the Chosen almost bury his face on his bowl.

"Don't insult her.", Lloyd said in a serious, dangerous tone. Their friends laughed again while Zelos scratched his head.

"Hey! It's two against one. It's not fair.", the red headed Chosen cried.

Backing to their meal, everybody finished and started to chat among themselves. Sheena noticed that two people were missing.

"Where's Colette and Genis?", Yuan almost gasped at hear the name of the blond Chosen. Sheena looked to him confused, but he disguised.

"Genis ate quick and went to the hospital area to watch over Presea. Colette also ate and left. She seemed to be in a hurry.", Raine explained.

"Genis is with her again?! My I won't get surprised if he calls her for a date as soon as she wake.", Sheena said, chuckling a little.

Lloyd and the others around, save by Yuan, nodded in agreement. It was pretty obvious that Genis was fall in love for the pink haired ax wielder.

After some minutes, everybody stood and went to do their respective chores around the base. Sheena and Lloyd got up together and went to the exit, until they were stopped by Yuan's voice:

"Lloyd, Sheena... I have to talk with you two. It's about Colette..."

- - - - -

_She was trapped, trapped inside herself again. It was like when she lost her soul and, like that time, she gave up by her own will._

_She realized her mistake when was too late, she was locked at the moment she agreed with that spirit's deal. She thought it was that man, that spirit, who did she feel that pain, but now, after being chained here, she discovered it wasn't him, but something else inside her. Now all she could do was watch. Watch while "that" controlled her body and went to it's target..._

Colette entered the Renegades' laboratory. There was some scientist, looking to a thick, glass window that showed the chamber where the Devil's Arms were being tested. One of the scientist noticed her and went to greet the Chosen:

"Hello Lady Colette. What do you make around here?"

"Yuan sent me to see how the tests with the weapons are going.", Colette said, in a cold tone, which passed unnoticed by the scientist.

_She tried to scream for the scientist to run, she tried to say that wasn't her, but her voice never reached her mouth. Her prison prevented her from warn them..._

"Sorry, but we didn't have any success until now.", he turned to the glass and to the weapons behind it. "I'm really starting to think these accursed items are indeed invincible."

"Yeah... they are...", the blond Chosen said, slowly reaching something beneath her clothes' shoulder.

_She tried to warn them again, but it was in vain. In some moments, the last thing the scientists would see in their life would be the black and purple blur of the Evil Eye's form..._

- - - - -

Genis was in the infirmary again, watching over the sleeping Presea. She had slept by two days now and the little half-elf was starting to get worried if she would even woke.

_No. I need to have hope. She'll wake._, he kept repeating the thought in his head over and over. He knew that negative thoughts attracted negative things. The proof was right in his front, lying in that bed.

He wanted for her to wake soon, so he could tell how he felt about her, but for now, all that he could do was to wait and this bothered him with no end.

Then he heard it: Presea was mumbling and trying to sit. Genis' heart was jumping of joy. Presea opened her eyes and looked to her surrounds to find herself in one of the Renegades' infirmary with Genis sat in a chair besides her bed.

"Genis, what...? How much time do I...?", she was having trouble to find the right words, her head was a mess.

"Hey, easy.", Genis said, trying to stop her from get up. "You've been sleeping for two days if it's what you want to know. But how are you now Presea?"

"I'm fine. Oh, and Genis, thank you.", the ax wielder smiled, making Genis got red beet while he stuttered and "uh?". "Thanks for save me. If it wasn't for you, I may still be possessed by Nebilim."

Genis stuttered a "thanks" to her, but didn't find his voice to talk anything after that. Presea tried to stand, she seemed to be a lot better, but Genis didn't want to risk.

"Presea, you should rest.", he said, trying to get her back to the bed.

"I have to go and talk with the others, Genis.", she insisted, going to the door. Genis grabbed her wrist.

"No! Please Presea. I don't want you to get hurt."

Presea turned to the young warlock. Genis noticed he stilled holding her hand. Blushing more then never, he left her hand and held his own on his back, trying to not look to Presea's pale blue eyes.

The girl didn't really understand why Genis acted that way. It was so strange for him to act by impulse alone. Deciding at least she owned that for him by saving her life, she said:

"Genis, I really do need to talk with them. You see, when I was under Nebilim's control I could look into h...", Presea's next words where cut by a loud explosion that shook the entire base.

She and Genis fell. Next, they heard hushed voices and screams coming from outside. Looking to the door the two just wondered what was happening...

- - - - -

Seconds before, Yuan arrived at his office with Lloyd and Sheena. He didn't sit in his chair like he used to, instead he just faced the couple.

"Lloyd, Sheena, I called you two because I feel maybe you can make something to get the things better.", Yuan's tone was deep, almost sad. Lloyd and Sheena just wondered what the blue haired angel would say. "You see, Colette..."

The former Seraph was cut off by a loud explosion that shook the room. Forgetting what he was talking about, Yuan pressed his communicator and shout at it:

"Denvir, what's the hell happening here?!"

"It's Colette, sir. She killed all the scientists and took the Devil's Arms! She's making a break for the base's exit!"

The three lost their breath. Colette killed someone at cold blood and was trying to scape... it was so unreal for them to believe.

Without stop to think, they stormed out of the office and went to the base's entrance. At their way, they encountered the others, who were also running to the gates.

"Did you also felt that?", Regal asked, everybody nodded.

Approaching the main gate, they heard sounds of battle. Behind the clouds of dust they could see Presea and Genis battling against a ferocious Colette, trying to prevent her from escape.

The scene was as breath taking as it was bizarre. Colette kicked Presea in the stomach with all her force, sending the pink haired girl to the wall. Genis tried to use Spread to launch the girl away, but Colette dodged, flying and threw the Evil Eye at Genis, who wasn't quick enough to avoid and got a deep cut in his right arm, making him to drop his Kendama. Any magic user knew that a hit like this mean the end of the battle for him.

The accursed chackran flew back to it's wielder's hands. The possessed Chosen turned to the newcomers. At seeing her new state, the party's voice was totally taken away.

Colette's eyes were red, the same red color of when she lost her soul in the final of the Regeneration Ritual, but this time there was a gleam in her eyes, they gleamed with what seemed to be pleasure. Pleasure to fight and kill her opponents.

Yuan was one of the most shocked, if he didn't know better he would think he was looking to the feminine version of Mithos. In fact, he always thought Colette beard a slight resemblance with the former hero, but he thought it was just appearance. The blue haired Seraphim never thought he would live to see the day that Colette would show the same gleam in the eyes that Mithos showed when he killed all those who he considered to be the guilts for his sister's death.

A laugh echoed in the air, everybody looked around to see from where it came. They located the source of the sound. It came from Colette. But it wasn't her voice.

A shadow appeared around her, the same shadow that possessed Presea. Nebilim.

"What... is that Nebilim?", Lloyd asked. Raine, Yuan and Sheena looked to him, surprised.

"You can see him?!", Sheena asked, Lloyd nodded.

"I can see too.", Zelos said, companied by Regal and Presea who nodded.

This got the members with elven blood of the group worried. They looked again to Nebilim's specter. The air around him seemed to emanate heat and the form of the shadow seemed to be denser.

"Oh no. He had get stronger since the last time.", Raine said, that was the only explanation for Lloyd and the humans of the group saw that shadow.

"Yes, I am.", Nebilim said, grinning. "The darkness in this girl is stronger, even stronger than Presea's. I never thought that someone like her would bear so much regrets, fears, besides others things. It's like they said: always the quietest ones."

The shadow said in it's characteristic venous tone. It seemed to be amused while talking, like the very fact of be possessing Colette was a great irony. Then it turned to Lloyd and Sheena:

"And I must thank you two for make this possible. If wasn't for you, I may never had found such appropriated vessel."

Lloyd and Sheena seemed confused. Why would they, who never had any intention of hurt Colette, would be the ones that helped Nebilim to control the girl? The dark specter chuckled at their expressions.

"I see. You're some of slow, aren't you? Well, then I think I'll let Colette speak by herself. I'll release the girl from my will for her to talk with you. I just wait the pain didn't make any permanent damage to her soul."

Before the two could ask what he meant by that, Nebilim disappeared. Colette immediately clutched her chest and knelled on the ground, her eyes showed a deep expression of pain. Lloyd tried to go to her, but Colette shout:

"Stay back! Don't dare to get close of me.", she lifted her head to him. Lloyd struck speechless, her entire face was practically screaming of hatred and, what was worst, she was focusing her eyes on him.

"Colette... what the...?", Lloyd tried to say.

Sheena and Raine approached, but when the blond girl rested her eyes in the ninja she shout with a voice full of hate:

"I SAID TO GET AWAY!!!", Colette threw the Evil Eye at Sheena with such strength that the weapon seemed a blur.

Sheena could only gasp while the accursed item flew towards her throat. Lloyd immediately jumped at her front, Material Blades at hand, and defended the blow with his Vorpal Blade. The eye-like weapon was spinning against the crystal icy blade, trying to cut it in half, but without any success.

Lloyd pushed the weapon away, Colette took it back from her position. She twitched violently, meaning another wave of pain was being inflicted upon her. Sheena wanted to go and help her, but she stilled startled from the sudden attack and the way Colette talked with her.

"You...", she said, pointing to Lloyd and then to Sheena. "Because of you... I'm feeling this pain... this pain in my heart that don't go away.", tears started to drop from her eyes. It mixed hate and pain. "Why do you do this to me?! I loved you Lloyd and this is how you return it?! Hurting me!? Betraying me?!"

Colette gridded her teeth, she seemed to be killing Lloyd with her eyes. The Eternal Swordsman and the summoner was struck beyond any sense. Colette knew they loved one another and this made her to be possessed by Nebilim.

Lloyd never thought, even knowing that Colette could not see that with good eyes, that the blond Chosen, his childhood friend, would hate him because he chose Sheena over her. He felt water come to his eyes.

"We didn't want to hurt you Colette. It happens that...", Sheena tried to argue. She also never wanted to inflict any type of pain at the girl. She considered Colette like a great friend or even, dare her to say, a little sister.

"Shut up you too! You're another one. I believed in you, I gave you my friendship. I tried to cheer you up even when you played the coward and in the end you took Lloyd from me! You also betrayed me!"

"I... I...", Sheena was on verge of tears.

The scene was just heartbreaking, not to say anything worst. It was the first time everybody saw Colette use that tone, full of hate, with someone. They tried to say something, but the words died before it could reach their mouths way.

"Don't come crying to me. It's your fault I'm like this! You two, I hate you!", Colette shouted, her tone was almost of a berserker rage. "All I just want now is to this pain gone. Nebilim will make it gone... he'll give me the darkness and erase these feelings... these feelings that bring this pain to me."

Now another gleam came to her eyes, it was hope. The type of hope that one who dreamed an utopia have. Lloyd and Sheena stilled speechless and with watery eyes for what Colette had just said, but the others managed to recover from the shock.

"Colette, don't let him to deceive you. He said almost the same thing to me.", Presea said She just couldn't let her friend pass by what she passed. "This darkness he offers to you will just make more harm than good. Don't let he convinces you to throw your life away how I almost did."

"And what should I do then? Say no to him and go back to Iselia and stay there for the rest of my life alone? No Presea, you know very well how it's like to be alone and I'm alone, but I don't want to suffer because of this anymore."

The blond Chosen's tone was cold, colder than before, when Yuan heard her talking after she discovered Lloyd and Sheena loved each other.

Incapable of hold the tears, Sheena let it fell. Lloyd instinctively approached to the summoner, but stopped once he heard Colette's voice, now sounding venous and tauting:

"Oh yes, go to her Lloyd. Go to comfort this wretched viper.", more gasps came from everybody.

That simple wasn't Colette. It couldn't be her, she would never say such cruel things like that. Before they could still to think, Nebilim's shadow appeared again.

Floating over the girl, the spirit seemed to enjoy to see their faces, specially when he spotted Sheena crying. Colette really did have strong darkness inside her.

"Now that all got clear, I'm taking my newest friend if you don't mind.", involving the girl with his dark energies again, Nebilim made the blond Chosen turn to the exit.

Before they could go, Yuan blocked their path, Shallow at hand, ready to fight if it was necessary to not let that infernal specter to take Colette away.

He searched for what to say, but nothing occurred to him. He really did feel it was Colette who spoke that cruel and harsh words, not Nebilim. He didn't feel the traces of that shadow's magic on her.

"Back off Yuan!", Colette said. Nebilim just smiled while watching the scene. "I don't want your pity. I know why you care about me, it's just because I do look like Martel, it isn't?", she said, an evil smile playing on her lips.

Yuan got paralyzed. He knew now it was Nebilim who was talking, but that was something he couldn't ignore. Indeed, Colette acted much like Martel, he always thought it was because of their similar mana signature, but there was big differences between then two. Yuan knew very well he didn't look to the girl searching for Martel on her eyes.

Colette showed her wings and flew against the blue haired Seraphim while he was distracted in his thoughts. Yuan just realized the distraction when the blond Chosen was upon him. He tried to dodge, but was too slow and got hit by the blow of the Evil Eye, that cut through his armor.

With a quick reaction, Colette kicked Yuan's chest, making he hit the base's wall. Before anyone else could do anything, the possessed angel flew through the blasted gates to the skies. Lloyd shouted her name, but she was already getting distant...

- - - - -

Merilius was sat in one of the great rock islands that decorated Flanoir's coast. In times like that, this was the only place where he could go to think, without have Kermish, Scarv or Slash bugging him. The cold winds was refreshing, calming his spirit and clearing his thoughts.

The blue haired half-elf needed to put his head in the place before did the next move, one that he knew could cost his life. He doubted that Kermish would accept his "resignation" with good mood. Kermish... the very thought of that talk he had with that degenerated Chosen was enough to make his blood to boil.

Merilius never accepted to do that errands for him. He just made that in hopes that Kermish would make his part on the deal and helped him to take back the Devil's Arms, but now that hopes were shattered and the light warrior was starting to feel all the weight of his conscience upon him.

The magic swordsman knew he was desperate when he agreed to help the ancient Chosen, but he hoped that if Kermish really knew about the Devil's Arms, he knew about Nebilim and what he was capable of. He didn't even bother to ask how Kermish knew about the accursed items. Now he saw it was all a big mistake.

Merilius thought back at the heroes... at how he hurt the little Genis, acting like he wanted to befriend with him. He didn't feel any affection by the heroes, they didn't matter to his mission. All he cared was his burden... his honor. But now he didn't know what to think. Genis didn't deserve what he made to him nor Lloyd and anyone who could be suffering by what he did.

He was lost again. Alone and lost. All his family died because of their burden... his burden. He was the only one left and even so he failed. How could he tell to his ancestors in the afterlife that he failed with them?

The magic swordsman didn't have courage to even tell to Luna and Aska what he was doing. They probably knew, but Merilius found easier to think they didn't. He simple didn't have courage to tell to them all that he had done in this past moths.

Before Merilius could think more about his mistakes, he heard an explosion, coming from west. Smoke started to rise from a point in one of the rocky islands.

The blue haired half-elf arched an eyebrow. He knew the Renegade's base of Tethe'alla stood in that point, but what could be happening there?

A point came from that direction, it was flying through the skies and passing near where he was. Taking a better look, Merilius could see Colette's figure leaving the base.

_Why is she leaving the base alone?_,Merilius thought, that was really strange.

When the blond Chosen was near to him, Merilius felt a chill in his spine. He knew very well that sensation, but he couldn't believe in first until took a better look on the blond angel. The light mage saw what weapon she was carrying and all his doubts were answered.

The energy came from her and she was caring the Evil Eye. She was possessed by Nebilim just like Presea. Merilius could feel the energy of the other Devil's Arms with her, Nebilim could probably have all the weapons if she escaped. Knowing he couldn't leave she got away with it, Merilius prepared to cast a spell.

This was his last chance to recover the accursed items as well as his own honor...


	22. What must be Done

**Chapter 22**

**What must be Done**

"She can kill you!"

"I don't care! It wasn't her... it can't be!", Lloyd said, struggling to release himself from Yuan, who was trying to prevent him from fly to catch up Colette.

Seconds after Colette left the base, Lloyd tried to go after her, but it didn't matter how many times the Seraphim told him that it wouldn't budge, that it wasn't Nebilim who made her speak that things to them. The Eternal Swordsman and good part of his human friends refused to believe it was her. They didn't want and wouldn't believe that their long time friend really meant that cruel words.

"And what do you expect us to do, leave her go away with that freaky weapons?! No way! There's no way my cute little angel act like that little psycho Mithos!", Zelos said, he also noticed the resemblance between the two blond's behavior and that scarred him with no end. It was beyond his reality to think Colette could think and act like Mithos.

"I also don't like the idea, but there's nothing we can do.", Raine interrupted.

"There isn't?! Then watch!", Lloyd shout finally releasing himself from Yuan and showing his great wings.

Ignoring the shouts of Yuan and the others, Lloyd flew to the skies to reach Colette. He could see Yuan and the others taking out their Rheairds to catch him up.

Spotting his possessed friend at distance, Lloyd pressed his speed up, but she was too far for him to reach her before she could arrive at the continent's skies. Before he could think in a way to reach her yellow, shining Photon-like seals appeared in thin air and closed around Colette, biding even her wings and making the blond angel to fall.

Lloyd got surprised by that, but as soon as he recovered he searched over the rocks around. Not for Colette, but for the only one that he knew could cast that spell. He spotted Merilius, jumping from rock to rock at great speed, going to Colette.

Merilius was moving faster than any exphere user or half-elf Lloyd had known. Remembering their previous battles, Lloyd never saw Merilius using any exphere or Cruxis Crystal. He couldn't understand from where the half-elf drew so much power.

_Well, he's not what you could call of a normal fighter._, Lloyd thought, remembering all the strange magics and techniques that Merilius had shown during his fights.

Then the Eternal Swordsman remembered what he just came there for and with great speed, he shot to the ground.

- - - - -

Merilius arrived at the landscape where Colette fell at the time to see she breaking his seal. Stopping, he felt all the air around Colette impregnated with Nebilim's presence. This worried him, it seemed that Nebilim found a really appropriated vessel for him.

The shadow then materialized above the Chosen's head. He seemed very surprise to see Merilius there:

"Now, now, hello Merilius. Still upset by your family's death?", the dark shadow asked, tauting.

"There isn't one day that I don't remember of them, thanks to you.", Merilius said in a sharp tone.

Nebilim smiled. It had been his great fun over all that years of confinement inside the weapons made that pathetic guardian remember over and over the day he attracted a group of abnormally vicious monsters to kill Merilius' uncles, including his child cousin, which had been more like a sister to him.

Merilius gridded his teeth at the mention of one of the worst days of all his life. He was aware since his childhood of the curse his family had upon themselves by sealing Nebilim and guarding his soul parts, but he never thought even in his worst nightmares that he would see the ones that bore him be killed in such cruel way.

"Oh, it seems I hit a nerve. Say did you have any success in find Amile? I'm sure by this time you already must have..."

Merilius didn't wait for him to end the sentence. His cousin was always a touchy subject to him and the last thing he wanted was for Nebilim to remember him of that. Swimming his sword at great speed he tried to hit Colette, but the angel was as quick as him with that wings.

After an open blow, Merilius left his guard open and Colette kick him with great strength, follow by another blow with the Evil Eye that cut trough Merilius upper armor like a knife in butter. The magic swordsman jumped back, but the possessed girl kept up with him by flying. Using sequences of Para Ball, Ray Satellite and Ring Cyclone, Colette inflicted serious wounds in Merilius, but he still refused to give up.

Bringing his sword to back he quickly charged the blade with light energies and thrust it:

"Light Thrust!"

Colette took the blade with her hand and the light sphere on it stopped at where her hand was grabbing the sword. Merilius gasped at that.

"Hehe. This vessel is so useful, don't you think?", Nebilim's shadow said.

Colette push the sword against Merilius, hitting him at the chest and sending the light sphere back to the blade's hilt, making it explode on Merilius.

The half-elf flew backward at the moment Lloyd and the others arrived. Pushing himself to stand again, the magic swordsman stared at Nebilim with anger. He couldn't leave that wraith win again, he couldn't. Decided to win, Merilius stood in a cast stance, an yellow circle appeared beneath him.

"Ancient light, guider of our steps, lend me your strength to face the evil before me. Aid your children and show to these dark hearted ones the light!", Merilius chanted in a prayer like way, power building up around him. Nebilim wore a worried expression, he didn't think Merilius would try that with so much people around. "Judgment!", Lloyd, Yuan and the others gasped. How did Merilius knew that spell? It was supposed to only be casted by angels.

Light beams rained upon Colette. Even having Nebilim to guide her and had great resistance against light magic, she didn't have chance against that powerful spell. When the rain stopped, she was on the ground and Nebilim's shadow disappeared.

Merilius quickly stood besides her, sword pointed to her throat, on his face a look that showed he was decided to end with her. Lloyd snapped out of his shock and tried to call Merilius' name, but the half-elf paid little attention to him.

"Go on. Finish me... end with this pain.", Colette mumbled in an almost delirious way.

"As you wish.", the half-elven swordsman said in a cold, serious tone. Sheena and the others shout to him "No", but Merilius already lifted his sword and brought it down.

Sound of metal hitting metal was heard when two swords came and blocked Merilius' Runeblade. He looked to the owners of the blades and saw Lloyd and Yuan. The two companions pushed the Runeblade back and tried to land a blow on Merilius, who jumped back.

"What's your problem? Are you going to kill Colette just because she had been possessed?!", Lloyd asked, angry at the half-elven swordsman, who he even started to think that could be good. "There's other way to save her and you know it."

"The girl's feeding Nebilim. Her darkness is getting him stronger. Even if we break the spell Nebilim would already have gathered great power, but if I kill her now while they're bound I can destroy Nebilim's power.", Merilius replied.

"That doesn't justify it.", Yuan said while thinking. _What's his problem? One moment he acts like the hero of the day and in another he acts like a selfish moron. This guy seriously needs to decide himself._

Merilius casted an angry look at them. None of them understood his mission. None of them understood what that monstrous spirit have done to him. He wouldn't let they stand in his way. He would recover the Devil's Arms and his honor at all cost.

"I have to kill her. It must be done!", Merilius charged at the two, his Runeblade ready to strike the two.

Lloyd and Yuan defended with their own weapons and started to fight with all their strengths. Sheena and the others watched the terrible battle, Merilius seemed like an berserker beast, drove only by his own instincts and anger.

Using a repertory of light spells, some that Yuan and Lloyd never saw before, Merilius called forth light spheres that exploded on them, much like in Light Thrust, shot light beams that seemed to burn their flesh beneath their armors and magic circles that electrocuted them with yellow sparks.

The light magician also used on them sword techniques like Light Spear, Demon Sphere and another in which he cut the ground, launching heavy boulders against them while jumping in the air, holding his sword with two hands, and slamming the ground with all his might and weigh, creating shock waves that blew they away, in an attack that he called Earth Rage.

At the end of the ferocious attacks, Lloyd and Yuan were with several cuts and panting heavily. Merilius really intended to kill them.

Tired of watch the fight without made anything, Sheena started to chant a summon. An yellow circle appeared beneath her, bathing all the scenery with its light. Merilius noticed that and looked to her.

"You want light Merilius? I'll show you light! I call for the light of the heavens!", Sheena called. Merilius' eyes went wide, realizing what summoning was that. "I summon thee. Come, Luna!"

Two spheres of light materialized in the battle field, one behind Merilius, another in his front. With a bright flash Luna and Aska appeared, both bearing serious and heavy expressions.

"I'm sorry my children...", Luna started in a sad tone.

"But we cannot allow you to harm an innocent.", Aska completed.

Luna used Shining Seal on Merilius, the same he used so many times against Lloyd and the others.

The magic swordsman looked terrified at seeing the Summon Spirits. His expression was like the one of a children that was discovered by his parents making some bad prank and was about to being beaten. He didn't even try to break the seal, all he did was just stare from one spirit to another.

Luna and Aska conjured two great light spheres each one that resembled two suns. Yellow runes appeared beneath Merilius. The Summon Spirits shot their respective spheres at the half-elf , saying:

"Light Embrace!"

The spheres collided at Merilius at the same time and transformed into a great, bright light pillar that covered all the runes in the ground. Merilius' figure disappeared inside the great pillar, but the group could her him screaming.

When the light pillar disappeared, the seal on Merilius did the same and the light mage fell to his knees. He stayed there, motionless, loosen strands covering his face, like he had died at that same place.

Lloyd and Yuan heard a flap of wings. When they looked back, Colette had already went to the skies. Black smoke circulated her and just like with Presea she disappeared.

Lloyd flew to where she was moments ago, trying to find a clue, anything that could give him an idea of were she went, but that was useless. She had gone and now Nebilim had all the weapons with him. The others could just lower their heads, all feeling the same sadness by their friend had gone like that, saying that she hated them.

A mumble was heard. When Sheena and the others in land turned, they saw Merilius, struggling to stand. When his face could be seen their jaws fell in surprise. He was crying.

"Fighting... against... my own... fighting against you...", he mumbled, turning his head to Luna and Aska that now stood side by side. "I'm sorry Luna... Aska... for a disgrace like me... exists...", with one more moan Merilius fell.

The scene was so confusing that they didn't know what to think first. Then Sheena turned her attention to the ones she considered that knew what was going on:

"What does he mean with that? Why did you called him your children? And why did he apologize to you?!"

The two Summons Spirits looked to each other. They seemed to be thinking if they should tell her or not. After what seemed some time of thinking, Aska spoke:

"This is an ancient story. We never thought that the things would get in the way they're now..."

"But it's not our place to explain all that is happening.", Luna spoke. "If thee want answers try to speak with Merilius when he woke.", the female embodiment of the light pointed to the unconscious swordsman. "But, please. Do not blame him for what he's doing. He's confused and lost. Some of thee know how one can do wrong things when is in this state."

Yuan moved on his place. He knew what she was talking about. By own experience, he knew what desperation could make a person do.

The Two Summon Spirits then disappear while the group turned to their fallen opponent...

- - - - -

Merilius suddenly opened his eyes and sat. He held his head in an attempt to think clearly and to have that headache stop, but he realized he wasn't alone. Looking around he saw Lloyd and all his ground in the room where he was, which he recognized how being one of the hospital areas of the base.

"You should consider yourself lucky. For me we would have left you to freeze out there.", Yuan started, in a sharp tone. Merilius didn't bother to pay attention to him, he search for his Runeblade, but found the sheath empty.

"Looking for this?", Zelos asked, holding the sword with his right hand. "I'm not a specialist in craft work, but I must say it's really an interesting blade."

"And the same goes to the inscriptions in it.", Raine added. She had took a better look on the blade when they returned to the base.

Merilius stood mute and confused. Why did they save him? He was their opponent, and they certainly remember that he tried to kill Colette, Lloyd and Yuan.

The room stood silent by some time, until Genis approached to Merilius and spoke:

"This can be by the easy way or the hard one, but you won't get out of here until we got some answers."

Looking to everybody around him once more, Merilius found that in fact he didn't have choice. He was defeated and fell lower than he ever thought he would get. Seeing that he didn't have anything more to lose he asked:

"What you want to know?"

"Everything.", Genis said.

Merilius arched an eyebrow, like to ask for them to name an initial subject. Sheena decided to start:

"Why did Luna call you 'children' and why did you apologize to her?", Merilius was about to speak when Sheena interrupted. "And don't try to avoid the subject or say you can't answer. Remember: you're our prisoner."

"Luna is... an old friend of my family.", Merilius answered, but the excuse wasn't bought.

"A friend of your family? Ha, please. Who do you think you're talking with?", Zelos laughed. "I may not be a summoner, but I know that just because someone belongs to the family of a guy who befriend with a Summon Spirit that doesn't mean all the family is considered a friend."

Raine crossed her arms and Yuan started to pat at the floor, impatiently. Sighing, Merilius decided that at least they couldn't be worse than Kermish.

"Ok. The truth is, I descend from the Ishtar family, who is the descendants of Luna, or like the people used to call us, the Children of the Light."

"Man, talk serious.", Lloyd said, devious.

"I can assure you I'm pretty serious. If the fact that I casted Judgment wasn't enough, then I can give you another proof. It is, if you allow me to get on my feet.", he looked to the group's members as if asking for permission.

After thinking they agreed and Merilius stood. He put his hands on his chin, like trying to remember something. Then he asked again:

"Could I have my sword back? I need it to catalyzes the energies.", Lloyd and the others shot a devious glance to him. Sighing, Merilius said. "I promise, under the name of my family, that I won't try anything."

_If I still have any right to use my family's name._, Merilius thought, maintaining his serious expression to Lloyd and the others didn't guess what he was thinking.

Everybody looked reluctant, until that Genis took the sword from Zelos and handed the Runeblade to Merilius. By some reason, the little half-elf found that Merilius wouldn't break that promise.

Thanking the young warlock, Merilius positioned himself and started to gather mana. A glowing yellow circle appeared beneath him while he chanted:

"Light of the heavens, protector of our paths. Thy children call for thee. I summon you, come Luna!"

Sheena gasped at those words. The female summoner could feel the power on that chant. It felt like when she made her summoning, but in a rather different way. A bright light sphere appeared, annunciating that Luna was coming.

Luna and Aska appeared, all the group of heroes stood in awe. Merilius avoided to look to the Summon Spirits, instead he found more interesting analyze the curves of his blade. The light spirits noticed that, but maintained focused on the actual situation.

"So, it seems that our children finally decided to tell thee.", Luna said.

"Correcting: your children, Luna. If you forgot, I don't have much to do with what happened between you and his ancestor.", Aska said, mentioning Merilius with his right head. "We may be both the spirits that guard the light, but we're not the same being. So my presence is not required in this subject."

Without anything more to say, Aska disappeared in a blur of his great golden wings. Luna sighed and turned to Lloyd and the others:

"He was always overprotective and sensible about this subject, please forgive his behavior. Now I'm sure you're all anxious to get answers."

"Of curse we are. What the heck is happening? And why?", Zelos asked at loud. This whole situation was getting on his nerves as much as the others.

Finally deciding to enter in the conversation, Merilius spoke:

"Then we will start from the begging. Like I said, I'm a descend of Luna. I share part of her mana and the blood of an ancient hero that had lived in a period that nobody remember, nor there are any records about it. We called it the Forgotten Ages. It occurred many millenniums ago, much before your time."

Merilius mentioned Yuan. An memory came to the former Seraphim.

"You said your last name is Ishtar, right?", Merilius nodded. "Do you happen to be an descendant of Thorin Ishtar?"

Raine and the others looked to Yuan. Did he then encounter someone of this family that supposed to descend of a Summon Spirit?

"Yes. Thorin was one of my ancestors in the Kharlan War time. If I'm not wrong, he taught to Mithos, you and your companions some of our family's knowledge. Like the Judgment spell and some basics about manipulation of mana of light that latter you used to create your own version of these spells."

Everybody in the room got struck by that sentence, with exception of Yuan. Raine suddenly shouted, clearly entering into "Ruin Mode":

"Your family had taught to them the techniques that latter will be know as angelic magic?!"

"Yes. To be sure, if you looked for Ishtar's name in some of the true historical records I'm sure you can find some references about us. My family always liked to involve in important historical events.", Merilius spoke, like that wasn't a big deal.

Raine now seemed that would explode of so much excitement. A descendant of a family that took part at most of the historical events, that was a true found for her. Her eyes were starting to shine more than Aska's feathers, making Merilius felt some of uncomfortable.

Before Raine could shot millions of questions to the now frightened half-elf, Lloyd asked:

"And what do you have to do with the Devil's Arms? The way you spoke it's like they were yours."

"In fact, they are. I was trying to recover them, since I lost them to a friend of mine that was converted by Nebilim.", Merilius said, looking to the floor, like if the memory brought pain to him.

The heroes then looked to each other. They knew that this friend should be Abyssion, the one that told to them about the Devil's Arms, claiming he was part of a family that was supposed to maintain the items sealed. They never knew how much of what Abyssion told to them was truth.

"Then it means you are the true member of the demon hunters' family.", Genis stated, remember what the possessed human once said.

"About the part of demon hunters I don't know, but I am one member of the family that was supposed to guard the weapons."

"Then could you told us the true story about Nebilim? It seems that he's your enemy as much as ours. If we're going to fight him we should know everything that we could about him.", Raine stated, now seemed more calm, but the enthusiasm stilled in her voice and that was enough to put a worried expression on Merilius' face.

The magic swordsman looked to Luna, silently asking permission. The Summon Spirit nodded and spoke:

"Thee should have told to them this since the beginning my children. They are good people and I'm sure if thee have asked before they would have helped thee, aren't you?", Luna asked to Lloyd's friends. Lloyd was the one that answered.

"Of course we would help. It was just you tell to us about all of this that we would have helped."

The spontaneous tone in Lloyd's voice and the sincere smile he gave made Merilius' believes about the heroes severely shook. He never thought about them as good people that would help anyone despite his condition, race and past. In fact he didn't believe that they were truly heroes. To him the only heroes that ever existed were his ancestors.

Luna smiled at Merilius' expression. She knew that now he had discovered who Lloyd and the others truly were. She couldn't blame on him by not thrust at people. After all that he passed and faced, it was only natural that he closed himself to not feel the pain of treason anymore.

"I'll help him to tell it for thee. Merilius doesn't know all the details.", Luna said.

"I think you may want to sit, cause it'll be a long story."

* * *

Stay tunned people! Next chapter I'll give the actual origin of Nebilim (my version I mean). And this origin will be some of different from the others that you often read about him (aka.: like a Demon Lord, king of the underworld and things like that), not that I have anything against the other teories about his origin.

Well, later!


	23. An Old Story

Finnaly! The origins of our so loved, vengeful Dark Lord!

I tried my best to this origin sounds reseonable so I would really like to know what you thing about it.

Oh, also I'm start to add in my profile the data about the OCs of my fic to easier consult and to encourage some people to read. As long as everything about a character here is revelated I'll put this character there, so stop by if you want to rememeber some facts about these characters.

On to the show now!

**

* * *

Chapter 23**

**An Old Story**

"Nebilim was an elf that arrived in Heimdall when he was a child.", Merilius started. "Nobody knew from where and Nebilim by himself say that he didn't remember. If it was a lie or not that's not the matter. Since he didn't have a family the elf leader adopted him. When he started to train magic, he seemed to be incredibly powerful, even for the elven standards."

Merilius gave a light pause. Telling that story was very different from hear it. His uncles always made clear the importance of know that tale, since it was his family's story, but sometimes Merilius caught himself desiring that he could forget about that.

"His power was just matched by his great curiosity about elven story and the powers that came with it. Because of it he made several travels to sites that were said to be where ancient elven communities lived. In this travels he discovered some important artifacts and started to gain some credit by it. He decided to become a professor, saying that he could taught all that he learned in his travels for the new generations, what for me was a big lie.

"Anyway, it was like this, when he was teaching the young elves that he knew Vallor. Vallor was the first half-elf to born, but by he being half-human, half-elven nobody knew what he exactly was. Much people looked to him with curiosity, interest and even fear. He even showed that was skilled in wielding weapons, a thing that in that age wasn't common between the elves since they used more their magic."

Merilius then stopped. Knowing he didn't knew much about his next part Luna took his place:

"Vallor's ability with both weapons and magic called Nebilim's attention and he decided to approach Vallor, what was easy since he was Vallor's teacher. He acted like he wanted to befriend with Vallor and even offered to help him with his domain over magic since he seemed to have a 'potential above the rest', according to Nebilim."

"I can bet my Kendama that he was just interested in Vallor's powers.", Genis stated from the chair he was sit, between his sister and Presea. That story was really catching his attention.

"Yes he was and the better way for him to know Vallor's potential was to know him. Nebilim didn't spare efforts to sustain this impression. He even brought Vallor with him in his excavations.", Merilius sated.

The half-elves in the group mumbled at that. They all knew too well what was to have someone interested in their abilities. That was another part of the discrimination they hated, when someone just saw them not like people, but like subject matters that doesn't have importance if will either liver or die as long as it could serve in their purposes.

"Even considering Nebilim had second intentions, this period was some of good for Vallor. Nebilim was indeed a very skilled elf and together the two rediscovered the principles of summoning.", Luna said. Raine gasped at that, but refrain herself from start to ask about it.

"With that he decided to try make his first pact, with me.", Luna seemed some of embarrassed by that memory.

By her expression the others could guess that Vallor and Luna weren't simply summoner and spirit partner. Lloyd, however, was confused at that. Zelos then broke the awkward silence:

"Then you have a mortal side after all.", the red headed Chosen said, pondering, in a tone that made Sheena want to slap him.

"Yes we have. Just because we're the guardian spirits of this world it doesn't mean we don't have feelings.", Luna replied. Everybody nodded, after all they also liked to thought about the Summon Spirits like another part of their list of friends. "Backing to our subject, Vallor and Nebilim together made much important discoveries that have repercussions in the elven culture until today. But one of these discoveries Nebilim decided to maintain in secret from everybody, even Vallor."

"It was while they were investing a site that was said to be the local were lived an ancient elven tribe that researched about the element of darkness that Nebilim found his first, primary source of power. I'm sure you all have heard about the forbidden book of darkness, the Necronomicon.", Merilius said.

Raine and Yuan gasped. Lloyd and the others found that name familiar. After think, Lloyd remembered and gasped too.

"You mean that book Abyssion used to revive Nebilim?", Lloyd asked.

"Then you saw him with it? Did you recover the Necronomicon?", Merilius asked in a somewhat hopeful tone. Genis was the one to answer that.

"Well, we saw it, but then Nebilim tried to possess Presea and I... burnt the book."

The young warlock prepared himself for the case of Merilius started to shout at him or even if he attacked, like he did back with Lloyd and Yuan. Instead, Merilius just turned to his serious usual expression.

"Then... let's just consider it was better this way.", Merilius said, but Genis could get a hint of happiness in his voice. The magic swordsman continued the story. "When Nebilim found it, he decided to read the book and use the knowledge inside it to gain more power so he could work on his great dream. But he couldn't use the spells in the book nor walk around in Heimdall with it."

"Why? I have heard the Necronomicon was forbidden, but there isn't any explanation about the reason.", Raine asked, that was a question always bugged her since she heard about the book of darkness in the elven stories.

"Because this book, which was written by the ancient elven tribe that researched the darkness, was also their demise. The registered in it each spell and ritual they developed, the problem is it was written when the magic was just being developed and the elves didn't know about the limits of the elements. They even tried to research about demonic energies and spells, but this spells corrupted their souls and hearts, transforming them into mere empty shells that couldn't feel anything or care about the risks of research such dangerous energies. When they tried to test an extinction ritual, they were already blind to the dangers and the spell backfired, destroying all the village."

Raine and Yuan stood mute at that. They never imagined that something like that could have happened with the elves in the past. That explains why the elves were always so strict about using darkness magic and considered any variation of that like foul magic.

"Surely you all can comprehend now why the elves always condemned the use of darkness magic. They always feared that another disaster like thats could happen. Thought, it didn't stop Nebilim from leave Heimdall under the excuse that he wanted to travel around the world seeking for anything that could help the elven culture.

"Hu, what he was truly doing was reading the Necronomicon and basking in all the power inside it. But, you see, that bastard of an elf was so skilled with darkness magic and so clever that he found what was the flaws on the rituals and spells and, Spirits know how, fix it minimizing the after effects to almost none.

"There's a theory in my family that he could do that because he descended from the elven tribe that researched the darkness' magics. We think that Nebilim's family found a way to avoid the disaster and survive. One prove of that could be that he even wrote his own Necronomicon."

That definitely struck Lloyd and the others. They had to admit, if Nebilim really did that he should have been a true genius in the magical arts. Raine didn't know if she should be impressed or scared by someone have such type of knowledge and wisdom.

"With all his power, Nebilim was capable of gather some servants for himself.", Luna spoke. "These servants helped him to remake all the spells in the forbidden book. Then he decided to dedicate himself to a new object that he knew he could reach with his new power."

"He wanted to bring what he called the 'true order to this chaotic world'.", Merilius spat, that was the part he hated the most. "He considered that the elves should never have shared their magical knowledge with the humans and that someday the humans would betray them to take control of the mana. How a prove he talked about the ideas the humans have of merge their newly developed technology with the magical elven arts."

"Wait. Are talking about magitechnology?", Yuan asked.

Merilius nodded. In fact he also thought that was a big irony Nebilim criticize the concept when he developed what could be considered a rough type of magitechnology.

"To make his plans came into truth, Nebilim stole some of our mana from our temples.", Luna stated, drawing a couple of "What?!" from the group of heroes. "He used his suppose friendship with Vallor to convince us that he was collecting some 'samples to help him to analyze the interaction of the mana'."

"But didn't you noticed he was practicing forbidden magic and even turning it more deadly?", Sheena asked, she never thought about the Summon Spirits committing that type of mistake before.

"We didn't know that until it was too late to stop him. All these years he was away testing his powers he found a away to avoid of our sights. We even thought he was dead.", Luna sighed. "We're not gods great summoner... we're not perfect. Like thee just hear from me now, we have some mortal tendencies on us. If we were really perfect do you think we would have formed pacts with Mithos?"

Sheena didn't answer that. She couldn't blame on the Summon Spirits for believe in Mithos at the time when he stilled an idealistic hero. She also have her flaws so who was her to judge the actions of the guardian entities of that world.

The female ninja looked to the embodiment of the light and apologized. Lune smiled at that, saying:

"There's no need to this. Like one of thee once said: mistakes can be corrected.", the Summon Spirit looked to Lloyd, who scratched his head half-embarrassed. "After stole our mana, Nebilim used it to built some kind of fortress for him."

"Fortress that for signal was built using my technology, which the little defiler also stole.", an old, yet energetic voice boomed in the room. In a multicolored flash, Maxwell's aged figured appeared, sitting in his floating platform. "Hello Luna. I heard from Aska you was telling to them the story of the ancient times, would you mind if I accompany you?"

The Spirit of the Birth looked from Luna to Merilius, who was completely startled by the sudden appearance of. Luna may be the most respected spirit of Merilius' family, but they also held great admiration by the other spirits that were higher in their own ranks, like Origin and Maxwell.

Luna acknowledge, smiling and saying she was honored by his presence. The ancient spirit then took her place in the narrative:

"Where were we? Oh yes. After steal our mana and construct his fortress, Nebilim fused the rest of the samples he had using demonic arts, creating a great gem that he called the Elemental Heart. This gem is auto-recharging and powered all his fortress. If my memory serves well, by that time he had an army ready to fight and die for him. With this army he stroked Tethe'alla and took over the throne."

It was the turned of Zelos' jaw to fall. Zelos knew about the story of Tethe'alla and how its army was always one of the most powerful in matter of numbers. To someone overthrow them it would be necessary a really big and powerful army.

Incapable of believe that someone could simply conquer Tethe'alla with an own army, the red headed Chosen interrupted:

"Where did that creepy guy took out an army for that?"

"Simple, Nebilim was blessed, by some divine reason that is beyond my comprehension, with a really good talk. He could convince people in Triet that they need to buy winter coats to use during the summer.", Merilius said.

"Why would people in Triet need winter coats?", Lloyd asked.

Everybody looked to the Eternal Swordsman. Merilius sighed, Yuan, Raine and Genis shook the head. Raine explained:

"It was an expression Lloyd. It means Nebilim is someone who knows how to convince people."

Hearing his former teacher's tone, the red clad boy scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, feeling he just had said another of his so famous idiotic comment.

"So he not only have great power, but also know how to use words. Hum, surely, someone with this type of power should have been an hard opponent.", Regal stated in his usual wise tone.

"Is words all that powerful?", Genis asked.

"They are Genis.", Lloyd began to answer. "Depending of what you talk, you can unity two different people, or make them to separate. Words can even start conflicts and wars. It's even worse when you are someone important, cause people will follow what you say."

Merilius got surprised at that deep phrase. He had heard from Genis that Lloyd was a really strange person. In one moment he was talking pointless and even stupid comments, in another he talked with the knowledge of the ancients. That boy was truly an enigma.

Ignoring Merilius' surprised expression, Luna continued:

"The problem was, Nebilim turned to be someone important in both elven and human society. He also have demons that wandered around this world and all the types of creatures in his army. After took the power, he maintained it by eliminating anyone who opposed against him. Thousands were slaughtered by him to maintain his supposed 'order'. Childrens, women, elders... all those who opposed against him become his victims."

Lloyd and his friends froze in horror at Luna's words. So Abyssion didn't lie when he said Nebilim killed many people, but women and children.

"What type of monster was that guy?!", Sheena exclaimed.

"The worst of all.", Maxwell responded in a sad tone. "He once killed an entire village of refuges who tried to get away of his wrath. He killed even the families of those who opposed him, saying it was a disciplinary example and that people would try to avenge their dead relatives. The truth is he developed taste for killing."

"That... that bastard! How could he do something so horrible and even like to do it?!", Lloyd said. That was almost the same thing the Desians did.

The two Summon Spirits stayed quiet. They never discovered how or why Nebilim developed that bloodthirsty personality of his. It was totally against the elven nature. They could only presume that something happened while Nebilim made the rituals described in the Necronomicon that altered his soul in such a point that he turned into the monster he was today.

Merilius clenched his fists at remembering that parts of the story. That remembered him of his dead family. He never understood how an elf could turn into an creature bent to destruction and suffering, but after some time he gave up to try to understand and accepted the truth that Nebilim was that way and nothing would ever change him. Luna continued:

"It was then that Vallor decided to do something about. He developed his powers as well, but in a different way of Nebilim. Gathering a group of strong individuals of all the races, including some half-elves, he formed pacts with all of us and obtained the legendary Divine Souls to defeat Nebilim and put an end in his reign."

"Divine Souls?", Presea asked. Maxwell explained:

"Weapons that were forged to be used by a great hero, or heroes, when an evil threatened to destroy all. The weapons assume a befitting form to their user and are capable of recognize the type of energy an evil one uses and form a counter energy that nullify his powers. They were indeed a masterpiece, one of the best creations we ever blessed.

"With that weapons and our powers combined, Vallor invaded Nebilim's fortress and battled with him. He won, but then happened something that even us couldn't have predicted. Like Luna should have told to you, Nebilim played like a friend to Vallor and because of this Vallor still had hope that the Nebilim he once knew could come back. So instead of kill the Dark Lord, Vallor sealed Nebilim inside the weapons."

_Sounds a little with my and Kratos' hopes about Mithos change back to his old self._, Yuan thought.

The blue haired Seraphim knew how hard could be to one to recognize that someone he considered a friend turned into the enemy. Three thousand years passed until Yuan's hopes about Mithos died and were replaced by a strong determination to stop the deranged boy.

Merilius told to them the end of the tale:

"Vallor thought if Nebilim had some time to think he could recognize his actions and regret of what he done, but Nebilim never regretted anything at all. Vallor just recognized his mistake when the Divine Souls mutated into the Devil's Arms because of Nebilim's twisted soul. The weapons weren't made to serve as a seal, but even so, the Divine Souls wouldn't transform if a normal person was sealed in them.

"When he was locked in the Divine Souls, Nebilim used his last trick and casted a curse upon Vallor's family, my family. He said: 'As long as my soul is in these weapons you and your descendants shall suffer. All those of your lineage shall die in the most gruesome ways. They'll never have a moment of joy or peace'.", Merilius sighed at that memory before continue. "The curse worked. Because of it my parents died by a crime they didn't commit, just because they were half-elves. My uncles, who raised me after that, were torn apart by crazed monsters when we were traveling near a forest.

"Nebilim used his aura to attract the monsters and made them went berserker. The creatures attacked me, while I still a child, and my baby cousin. They devoured my uncles at my front, none piece of them lasted. I was a child then, but my parents entrusted to me my Runeblade and I used that to attract the monsters and protect my cousin. I almost died battling with them and when I returned my cousin was in nowhere to be found. I tried to search for her in the forest, but it was futile..."

Merilius' words trailed off, indicating he couldn't continue. Lloyd and the others could just imagine what type of trauma that could have bring to Merilius, have someone of his family killed in his front and then a baby that he tried to protect disappear without vestiges.

Zelos could understand a little what the magic swordsman should have felt at that moment. To have the ones that were like parents be killed in your front could make anyone fell to his knees.

"With me being the only survivor of the Children of the Light it was my responsibility to take care of the Devil's Arms, which Vallor sworn to guard, since it couldn't be destroyed. But... I failed... I lost the weapons when my friend, Abyssion, got converted by Nebilim. I brought shame to the name of my family. I was completely desperate when I encountered Kermish, who said he could help me to get the weapons back."

Everybody heard that part with attention. Considering who Kermish was they could guess what the dead Chosen asked for Merilius in return.

"It can be a shock to you, but you were in truth working to Nebilim all this time.", Presea said.

Immediately all the heads turned to her, Merilius almost broke his neck when he looked to the girl. She explained:

"When I was being possessed by him I could see some of his memories. I saw that it was him who brought Kermish back to live and he was the one controlling him all this time."

Merilius almost fell at that revelation. He was working to the mortal enemy of his family all the time?! He knew there was something strange about Kermish, but he never thought it was that.

"Then that's the answer.", Raine analyzed. "Of course it could be him. Nebilim read the Necronomicon, which it's said to have spells that can bring the dead back to life. If he really wrote his own Necronomicon then it's possible that was him the one who discovered this spell."

The Children of the Light gridded his teeth. How could he be so oblivious to something like that? He really was a dishonor to his family to be fooled like that.

Merilius was so concerned with his failures that he almost didn't get the rest of Lloyd's group conversation.

"He must be with Colette also. We have to go and free her.", Lloyd said.

"But how can we encounter her?", Yuan thought aloud.

"I think I have the answer to this.", Merilius spoke. Everybody turned their attention to him. "I know where Kermish's base is, so I can lead you to there."

The heroes seemed some of uneasy to trust in the blue haired warrior. They shot an look to the two Summon Spirits present, who retributed with an look that clearly said: You can thrust him.

Lloyd looked into Merilius' eyes, his eyes showed his determination to correct the mistake he made and, at the same time, showed how much ashamed he was by betraying the memory of his family. The Eternal Swordsman smiled while he spoke:

"Ok. Then you will lead us to where Kermish is and then we kick his and Nebilim's ass by all that they did."

Merilius smiled at finally heard that they would really help him to stop his family's enemy. The light warrior then remembered about a subject and turned to Genis:

"Hum... about back... in Sybak... I'm sorry. I never had any intention to..."

"Ah, let's just forget about that okay. As long as you don't go running back to Kermish I won't roast you. But I still don't trust you.", Genis stated, earning an exclamation of "Genis!" from Lloyd and Raine.

"I think that it's the least I deserve..."

Seeing their job was done there, Luna and Maxwell disappeared to go back and tell to the others Summon Spirits what just happened.

Yuan suggested they all discussed the details of the infiltration in after they eat a meal. Followed by this statement came the sound of much growling stomachs of the group, they hadn't eat anything since they went after Lloyd and Merilius' story should have lasted some hours.

When great part of the group leave the room, leaving Sheena, Lloyd a Merilius behind, Denvir entered with another letter in hand. This time the second in command went to Sheena.

"One of your people's ninjas came to Flanoir Base and left it to us.", the half-elf said, handing the letter to Sheena. Denvir shot an ugly look to Merilius before left. The magic Swordsman sighed, but inwardly he knew he deserved any angry glance that was directed to him.

Sheena opened the letter and read it. Lloyd asked what it said, the female ninja answered:

"I've asked to grandpa about the dagger he gave me when I completed the succession ritual."

"You mean, that one that you used on Kermish and made a strange effect on him?", Lloyd asked, remembering what she told to him about her brief fight with the deranged Chosen One.

"Yes, but he doesn't know about the dagger's origin. It seems to be dwarven work, but he can't be sure of it. All that grandpa said is that he encountered that dagger besides me when he found me at Garoachia Forest."

Merilius, who was slowly turning to the exit, stopped when he heard Sheena's last phrase and immediately turned to them. They didn't notice the strange action or the face of complete confusing he wear.

The light warrior hid his confusion while walked to them and asked:

"Could I see this dagger?", the couple looked to Merilius in a confused way. He knew that such request sounded strange coming from him, so he tried to cover it. "I happen to know some about craft work. Actually, the Runeblade that I use was forged by my family long time ago and I still have the knowledge about the arts that were used so I might help you to discover where it came from."

It wasn't a complete lie. Ishtar's linage truly knew about forge arts that were passed to them by the dwarves. Merilius was almost praying for them to accept his request, he just couldn't help, but felt that something very important for him was related to that.

Deciding he couldn't do anything of bad, Sheena took the dagger's sheath, tied at the back of her obi and handed that to Merilius. She got more surprised at the look the warrior gave to the weapon, it was almost like that blade was something really important to him that he didn't see a long time ago.

_It... it's... how can it be? Could that mean..._, Merilius thought, not aware that his face was now a mirror of his inner feelings. He drew the weapon and looked to the patterns in the hilt and the blade.

"Hum.. are you alright?", Lloyd asked, bringing the older swordsman back to reality.

Merilius blinked twice before notice what expression he just made. Trying to think in a way to disguise his thoughts, he sheathed the small blade and handed it to Sheena.

"Sorry, but I really don't know who might have forged this.", the magical swordsman said, turning and leaving the room before they could shot any question to him.

"What just was that?", Lloyd asked, confused.

Sheena shrugged, she also found that behavior much strange. Another subject came to her mind, one that brought a great deal of pain to her heart.

"Lloyd... do you think Colette... hate us because we're together?", the female ninja asked, uncertainly of how to say that.

"No. It wasn't her, it couldn't be. It must be another of Nebilim's tricks.", Lloyd said in a serious tone.

"But Raine and Yuan said that they didn't felt Nebilim's spell when she talked with us."

Sheena tried to hold more tears from falling. The idea that Colette heated her because she loved Lloyd was too much for her to bear. It made she felt like her happiness was a sin by itself, like she just could be happy with the one that she loved by hurting someone that he considered like a sister. It made she felt like she was being selfish by try to take Lloyd from Colette, even knowing he didn't love her like a man to a woman.

Lloyd shook his head in denial again, before said:

"I refuse to believe it was her. I know Colette since I was a little boy and I know that she isn't like this. I never saw she hate anybody, even the Desians and others that deserved it. She could be angry at them, but not at the point of hate them."

Lloyd's words sounded at the same time like a song of hope and a will of believe in something that could not be true. Sheena felt more comfortable and hopeful at hearing his words, but the feeling of sin didn't leave her.

The Eternal Swordsman stood at his place, looking to the ground. He looked tired, Sheena knew that this whole story was affecting Lloyd more than anyone, more even than her.

She wanted to hug him. She wanted to comfort him and say hopeful words like "Everything will be ok" and "We will find her and bring her back", but the idea of made it made the feeling of guilt intensify...

* * *

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Evil twists!

And so the true villian is revelated, but that doesn't mean the others still not be a big threat.

What do you think about Nebilim now?! For me the worst type of villian is the one that knows how to twist the truth and how to convince people to do what he wants. Again I insist: review to say what you think about this origin to Nebilim!


	24. Into the Deeps

Woot, I just finished another final work of my college! Now I have some more free time!

Oh, yeah, about the fic: from this chapter on the general mood of the fic may totally change, yet again. More villians and henchmen may pop out in the next chapters and some surprises and explanations still to be found.

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* * *

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**Chapter 24**

**Into the Deeps**

Rheidairs flew above Gaorachia Forest, searching for a point where they could land. The sky was an orange dusk and none living creature seemed to be flying around the forest's perimeter.

That all combined with the tense mood that Lloyd and his group were while they descended to a nearby meadow. The base, according to Merilius, was built inside the Gaorachia Mountains, in a great cavern that seemed to extend inside the mountain through kilometers. The magic swordsman also said that Kermish was expanding the base using Regal's company machines.

The group took two days to prepare all. Yuan ordered a handful troop of Renegades to stand near the entrance of the base in case they needed to create a distraction or help. It was settled that Yuan, together with Lloyd and the others, would infiltrate in the base, search for Colette and try to find a way to release the girl from Nebilim's control so Raine could try to blow out the base like she did with the Human Ranches.

By Merilius' informations, there wasn't any other innocents inside the base that could be used like hostages so they could rescue Colette and destroy the hideout without much problem.

When the group landed, Yuan took the Rheidairs back to his Wing Pack. Merilius guided them through the trees. That part of the forest wasn't so dense like the inner areas of it, leaving some of the sun's rays to pass through the roof of leaves. At the same time, it was very well hidden, nobody that didn't know how to navigate in that paths could reach the base's gate.

Merilius made a signal for them to stop. Carved in the mountain wall was a big, metal door. The dark-blue haired half-elf went to the door and searched for a panel attached to it. He instructed Lloyd and the others to stay out of sigh until that he opened the door and deactivated the security cams that monitored the gate.

Genis moved from his position, uncomfortable. Like Yuan and Raine, he was some of unsure, if it was a good idea to leave Merilius enter first in the base. What if he warned about them were nearby? It would be easy to capture them if that region was indeed watched by Kermish.

The gates opened and from inside came two duelists, what made everybody gasp. They didn't wait to something like that to happen.

Raine and Genis took their weapons, ready for combat in case of Merilius denunciated them. One of the duelists spoke with the light warrior:

"Ah, here's you. The boss was asking about you by hours. Where were you, Merilius?"

"I went to catch some fresh air.", Merilius replied with his usual serious tone.

"Oh, sorry. We forgot that the great Merilius doesn't stay with lower soldiers.", the other duelist said, in a mocking tone, drawing some laughs from the other.

Merilius gridded his teeth. He never stood that "soldiers" of Kermish. They were just a bunch of despicable mercenaries and assassins that didn't care about how much people they would kill as long as they got what was promised to them.

"Anyway, come. Master Kermish called everybody, it seems he discovered something while was expanding the base.", the two turned, giving the back to Merilius and making signal for him to follow.

"Do you think it's gold?", one of the duelists asked.

The other never had the chance to answer for in that moment Merilius drew his Runeblade and, in blinking speed, he hit the two duelists accurately at the back of their necks, killing them instantly.

The light warrior made signal for Lloyd and the others to come. They were all surprised by the sudden reaction of Merilius towards the soldiers and the accuracy which he hit their vulnerable spots.

"I must admit, that was a good move.", Yuan spoke. He just saw that level of precision in Kratos.

"Thanks, but we must hurry. If these two were searching for me then I suspect that Kermish already knows that I betrayed him."

- - - - -

After what seemed one hour of much run, the group arrived at the control room. The entire base seemed like a labyrinth and they had to admit: if it wasn't for Merilius' guide, they could wander inside the hideout until they were found or collapsed due exhaustion.

Raine went to the controls and started to press some buttons. The others looked around. The room seemed like an exact copy of an Human Ranch's control room, aside the fact that in the opposite wall to the door there was a big window.

"I must admit, I never really entered in the control room before. Kermish never trusted in me enough to let me enter here."

"But don't you think it was strange we simply walked through all the base without anybody to try to stop us?", Sheena asked. That fact was bothering her after five minutes inside the base.

"I was thinking that too. Shouldn't at least be someone in the common room that we passed by?", Zelos asked.

Merilius thought about that. He also didn't like of how it sounds, it was almost like the base was evacuated. Did Kermish guess that he would try to invade and decided to transfer the base to another location?

The Children of Light thought back at the fact that Kermish was working for Nebilim. He heard from his family stories about Nebilim's cunningness. The nefarious elf was a master tactician in the times when he conquered the entire Tethe'alla. Every attempt of an attack against Nebilim resulted in the complete slaughter of the adversaries. Certainly Nebilim could have advised Kermish to pack up the things and flee.

Raine then spoke, taking everybody's attention:

"Strange, the power source was cut off and all the systems are inoperative.", She turned to her companions. "It seems they really deactivated the entire base."

"What there's here?", Lloyd asked from the window.

Raine and the others approached. From the window the could look to what seemed to be the remaining natural part of the cavern. At the bottom there was some floor lights and a big yellow machines.

"That are my companies' machines.", Regal stated some of angry, Kermish was really using his company's equipments to help him to do whatever he wanted.

"If they were expanding, why there's one single tunnel?", Presea asked, pointing to what seemed to be an excavated tunnel at the bottom of the cavern.

"That's really strange. Maybe we should investigate.", Lloyd suggested.

The others agreed. They searched and found a door at the side of the room that lead to a stairway to the bottom. Descending, they arrived at the huge cave they saw.

Going to the tunnel, Merilius started to feel a strange sensation. It was almost like that place was familiar to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

As the heroes walked through the tunnel, they saw what seemed to be some hand model excavation machines. By the looks of it, they were used recently.

At a point in the tunnel, Raine halted them to stop and went to a nearby wall. Reaching her hand to touch it. She felt the surface there wasn't the one of a cave.

"This isn't a natural formation. It seems this wall was man made.", she announced after some analysis.

"What?", Lloyd went to that wall too and touch that.

The Eternal Swordsman felt that the surface indeed seemed to be of polished stone. How could that be, that caverns seemed to never have been lived before?

Genis and Merilius approached. The young warlock notice that something seemed to be carved in the rock. Brushing some dirt away he looked to the writings. His sister noticed that too and took a look at the strange glyphs:

"Strange. It seems to be elven writing, but it's really ancient. So ancient that I can't recognize it."

Merilius took a better look at it and then he recognized it and that worried him. He then remembered that the base seemed to extend beneath the surface for many meters so it could be possible they were near "that".

"Wait, somebody has any idea of which region we could be under?", the magic swordsman asked, his tone was clearly worried and that made the other members of the group some of uneasy.

Yuan took out a compass and looked to it. Zelos saw that and got some of surprised. The red headed Chosen asked since when Yuan had that and the blue haired angel answered:

"I always carry it with me. Any idiot with the least of sense should carry a compass when traveling in the case of get lost.", Sheena and Lloyd looked to the sides, embarrassed. They actually never carried a compass when they went to their journey, save by the ones attached to the Rheidairs. "Seeing that we were walking to the north most of the time... by my calculations we must be under that great desert at the north of Gaorachia."

Merilius gasped, attracting all the group's attention. He was really acting strange now. Sheena only saw he acting like that when he was holding her dagger and at that moment she knew that he discovered something that didn't want to tell to them.

"Merilius, is there something you would like to tell us?", Raine asked, also noticing that he seemed to be hiding something.

"Hum... it's... it's nothing..."

"Hey, I see light at the end of this tunnel.", Lloyd called out before Raine could ask further. It seemed that the boy wasn't paying attention to the situation again.

Raine sighed while turning to walk with the others to what seemed to be the end of the tunnel. Merilius also sighed in relief, but his worries still while he followed them.

"Do you think it's a crystal deposit?", Presea asked.

"I doubt. My engineers had checked the area of the desert many times and there isn't any sing about mineral deposits here.", Regal stated. "The soil in this region is devoid of almost absolutely anything."

"Maybe they didn't check it right. I mean...", Zelos forgot what he was just about to say when they exited from the tunnel.

Everybody stood in awe when their eyes adjusted to the strange unnatural gleam that seemed to emanate from the giant cave they entered. They entered in a gigantic section of the cave where was what seemed to be a city of Meltokio's size or even bigger.

"Ok, now that's a thing you don't find all the day.", Zelos stated, but nobody payed attention to him.

The city was built entirely of an dark-gray, stone material. Houses circulated them, creating what seemed to be streets and in some points there was towers that, when they counted, seemed to make a circle around the city. At the far end of the city a big, fortress-like castle stood with high towers that seemed to almost touch the stone roof above..

Sheena's body started to shake. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't stop shake. Lloyd noticed that and asked what was wrong, worried. The Eternal Swordsman just saw she shook like that when they were near Volt's altar in the Lightning Temple and even so it wasn't so much like she was now.

"I... I don't know, but... this city... there's something here... and I don't like it.", she said with a voice full of... fear? She didn't understand why she was with fear, but she definitely didn't like that place.

At the back of them, without they noticed due the situation with Sheena, Merilius also started to shake his legs, but he knew why he was like that. He had the suspicion they were near the city, but he hoped he was wrong.

_After all these years... and now someone finds it. Dammit! This is far worse then I could have ever thought!_,the light warrior thought. That was indeed another proof that Kermish was working for Nebilim, otherwise he wouldn't be capable to find this city.

The group started to walk again, almost leaving Merilius behind. The half-elf catch up them, but made none noise to indicate that he was behind.

Zelos started to shiver after they passed through another big house of the size of his mansion.

"Brrr. It's cold here.", he whimpered.

"It must be nighttime at the desert above, surely it must be cold. Thought, I have to admit that this cold is bothering me too. It doesn't seem to be an natural effect of the environment.", Regal stated, also shivering. Even thinking he was wearing travel clothes with a brown coat he felt like he was in the middle of Flanoir using his swimsuits.

At what seemed to be the middle of the city, Genis and Raine looked around suddenly, like they had seen they were to be attacked. Lloyd and the others stopped. Yuan also seemed to be really uneasy.

"Ok. Now I seriously don't like this city.", Genis said. "It's as desert as a ghost city, but I feel like we're being watched.", the little half-elf said, sounding scared.

"I also feel it. It's better we find what we came to look for before something bad happen.", Raine stated also sounding scared. That place was getting her startled like if at anytime a monster could jump in and torn them apart.

"I think we already found it.", Yuan spoke, pointing to their front. "I can see Kermish and that bodyguards of him up ahead.

The group hurried their pace and shortly after Kermish entered in the sigh range of the non-angels of the group. Everybody drew their weapons when they got near enough to see the dead Chosen's face.

At hearing that sound, Kermish turned and encountered a group of very angry heroes and a Children of the Light, weapons ready for the battle.

"What the...? How did you all got here?", the ancient Chosen questioned, surprised. His two bodyguards, Slash and Scarv, also turned and drew their weapons at seeing the group. Kermish then looked to Merilius and seemed to recover some of his arrogant pose. "Oh, I see. Hello Merilius."

"My talk is not with you Kermish.", Merilius pronounced and then he shout to the streets around. "Nebilim! I know you're here! SHOW YOURSELF!!!"

None answer came, save by the echo of Merilius' voice. Kermish chuckled at the light warrior's sworn when he received nothing in response. The ancient Chosen spoke:

"So you actually discovered. Well, I was planing on get rid of you anyway, since I knew you wouldn't work to me anymore when you saw our little discovery."

Merilius gridded his teeth, so it was really true that the degenerated Chosen One was working for Nebilim. For some reason, Merilius felt like that should be the most obvious reason for him to have that type of dark magic. How didn't he discover that sooner?

Lloyd was paying little attention to Kermish and Merilius' glare duel. He just had one thing in mind:

"Where's Colette? Release her or I'll tear every piece that left of you!", Lloyd shouted, sounding really angry.

The ancient Chosen didn't seem to be afraid of his tone. In fact, he just chuckled at it, like he was amused. That chuckle was really starting to get at Lloyd's nerves.

"Again, you're doubly wrong Lloyd. First: I can't release her, cause it's not me who is controlling her, you should know the difference. Second: You can't kill me, cause... well, technically, I'm already dead.", he said, laughing.

"That doesn't mean we can't burn you until there isn't one single limb to save!", Genis said, reading his Kendama.

Slash and Shioru seemed to be ready to jump at them, but Kermish made signal for them to stay like that. It seemed that this whole situation amused him.

"So, if you're with them, I assume you already told to them about this city.", he stated, meaning Merilius. The heroes looked at the half-elf, with a confused look. Kermish smiled at that. "Oh, so you didn't tell. It seems you really should learn how to trust in people Merilius. Well then, I'll tell to them.

"This...", he mentioned the city with his hands. "is the ancient Nebilim's Fortress, the City of Darkness. Here, there's the ultimate source of power that I needed to finally forge my destiny. Unfortunately, I don't have time to lose with you. But don't worry, I'll leave you in good company."

Kermish then pointed his hand to one of the houses nearby and murmured something in elven. Lloyd and the human members of the group didn't understand it. Neither Genis did, thought the little half-elf was taking lessons of elven with his sister, he still didn't catch all the details of the complex language to spoke it properly.

Raine, Yuan and Merilius could understand what Kermish just spoke. It was:

**"Come forth, ancient one. The powers that you serve call thee once again."**

The door of the house Kermish was pointing to flung open and from inside appeared an skeletal hand with golden bracelets on it.

The hand grab the portal and followed by it came an robed skeleton, floating above the ground. Everybody gasped at that sinister vision, but no one seemed to be more surprised then Yuan and Raine.

The skeleton had golden bracelets in both the arms, wore a dark-green, short-sleeved, long robe with red and gray symbols and runes in it and slightly touched the ground. In his head, the skeleton wear an horned helm that leaves his face uncovered and from it's top came what seemed to be a long golden hair that fell to the skeleton's back in a ponytail. The air around the strange undead seemed to be filled with sickness and cold, like his very presence was enough to corrupt the environment around him.

At the holes were should be the eyes shone two green lights, which seemed to try to search into the people's eyes for their soul. The skeleton turned to Kermish and looked to him from top to bottom. After conclude his analysis, the undead spoke in an ethereal, booming voice:

"I sense the pact of my master upon you. Are you the new vessel?", the voice of the skeleton was enough to send shivers through Lloyd's spine.

"Is this... a Linch?", Raine asked in a fearful voice.

"What's a Linch?", Lloyd asked.

The creature then turned it's attention to the Eternal Swordsman, looking to him at the eyes. Lloyd felt like the Linch was trying to look into his soul and that send new shivers through his spine. The skeleton then turned his attention from him back to Kermish. Lloyd found that he really didn't like that thing.

"Linches are creatures of ancient eleven legends. It's said that they once were elves, but they sold their souls to turn into masters of determinate element, generally to demons. Once they do this, they turn into skeletal creatures, devoid of any emotion, but the desire to follow the orders of their masters.", Yuan explained, all the time maintaining his eyes on the Linch, waiting for the creature to attack. "But I never thought they really do exist."

"Hu. You'll find that much 'legends' like this were once allies of Nebilim. When Luna said that Nebilim gathered an army with all the type of creatures she do mean [i]_all[/i]_ the type of creatures.", Merilius said, also not taking his eyes from the Linch.

Kermish put his best arrogant smile while talked his next words:

"Watch your tone with me. I'm not any vessel, I'm a lieutenant and as so I order you to eliminate these nuisances while I do my business.", Kermish said, pointing to Lloyd and his group.

The Linch looked to them again, this time he seemed to analyze the whole group, what made the heroes felt uncomfortable at the glance of the undead. The magical skeleton turned to Kermish again, speaking in his ethereal voice:

"They're powerful and they have light bearers with them. I can't take them all the way my powers are now."

The ancient Chosen closed his eyes, like he was thinking. A smile broke from his lips when he opened them again and talked:

"Don't worry. Help is coming."

In a blink of eyes, dark clouds arose between Nebilim's servitors and the heroes. After the clouds disperse, Colette appeared. A familiar shadow materialized above her and for the first time the Linch's voice seemed to bear some emotion:

"Lord Nebilim!", the Linch inclined his robed figure to the shadow.

"Khan'Tharu, I see that you guarded the city during my absence.", the specter looked around to his city.

Raine, Yuan and Merilius noticed that Nebilim's figure seemed more solid now. He clearly wasn't the ghost he was before and now some parts of his figure seemed to emanate a red shine.

Khan'Tharu looked to Nebilim's possessed soldier. By the sound his voice when he spoke, Lloyd could bet if the creature have lips he would have smiled.

"I see you didn't lose your touch my Lord. Just you would be capable of convert a light bearer to our cause."

"Of course I didn't. It's necessary more than being imprisoned in some cheap copies of divine weapons to make me lose my touch.", Nebilim said, grinning. The specter turned to Kermish. "Go to the Heart's Chamber. You know what to do."

"Yes, master Nebilim.", Kermish said, bowing, to everybody's surprise.

Slash and Scarv seemed to be some of confused if they should follow the gesture or just stand there. They were struck since Merilius' shouts and the appearance of the strange skeleton. Kermish stood and went to the fortress again, they decided to follow him anyway.

When Kermish opened the doors of the castle, Merilius suddenly ran after him. He wouldn't let they do whatever they would do inside it. Noticing it, Khan'Tharu floated to Merilius' front and lifted his arms, preparing to cast a spell.

"Stay away! You shall not interfere!", the Linch's voice seemed to echo around the big cave.

"You won't stop me!", Merilius said, putting his sword at front of his face.

The crystal on the hilt emitted a bright shine that blinded the Linch, Nebilim and the possessed Colette. Merilius jumped above them and continued to ran to the fortress, ignoring Lloyd and the others' protests.

Khan'Tharu was ready to go after him when Nebilim's voice stopped him:

"Leave him be. Kermish will be more than enough to deal with him. At the moment, we have our own battle.", Nebilim turned to the group. Khan'Tharu also turned and seemed to gather power around him.

Lloyd and the others got ready for the battle. They could go after Merilius when they ended with the two creeps. Yuan spoke a strategy to them while maintaining his attention on the two adversaries, or three:

"I, Lloyd, Sheena and Presea take care of Nebilim and get Colette back. The rest of you take down that bony freak.", everybody nodded at Yuan's strategy.

With a battle cry, they went to the attack, bracing themselves to anything that could come...

* * *

Now what will be the conclusion of these battles? Will the group rescue Colette from Nebilim's clutches or will they fall by Nebilim and his Linch?

Stay tuned, things promissed to get more interesting!


	25. The Angel and the Linch

0.o This is a really long chapter now. Well, with everything that was to happen here I shouldn't get surprised.

Now people, with this chapter we end the part "Dark Whispers" of my fic. Like I said before, here the general mood of the fic will start to change, yet again (at least this what I think).

So let's get with it, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own, and possibly never will, ToS. I own, Kermish, Scarv, Khan'Tharu and other creeps and freaks like them, save Nebilim.

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* * *

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**Chapter 25**

**The Angel and the Linch**

Kermish stared at his front to the great floating, multicolored gem. There was the relic that powered the great fortress of Nebilim and now he would activate the gem and bring the fortress back to life.

Nebilim promised to the ancient Chosen that if he helped him to get his old powers and body back, he would teach the great secrets of the magic that Kermish wouldn't learn from any elven book, save the Necronomicon by itself. Also the promise of the eternal life to Kermish and help him to reach his objective, the forge of a new element.

Looking to the gem, Kermish felt that now he was closer to his object more than never before. Nebilim showed interest in his researches about it and showed to him that it was possible to create that element.

A shout of his name brought Kermish back to reality. Looking behind, the fallen Chosen One saw Merilius coming to him through the corridor from where he came. The warrior of light stopped near the stairs to the altar where the Elemental Heart was.

"Stop now Kermish, before you do something that you will dearly regret!", Merilius shouted.

"Regret? I don't think so.", Kermish laughed. "This is all that I always dreamed of.", he said, mentioning all the fortress with his arms. "This is my destiny. To hold absolute power over the magic and to forge the new element! Everything is at hand and the only thing I need is to get rid of you!"

Kermish started to sound insane once more. Merilius asked to himself why he stilled trying to get the degenerated Chosen back to his sense if he obviously lost it much time ago. Sighing, the Children of Light stated:

"You don't have idea of what kind of horrors you're just about to release in this world."

"Don't I?! Well, let's see then if you can really stop me!", with a movement of his hand, Kermish made all the Devil's Arms floated out of his cloak. Only the Evil Eye was missing, probably still with Colette. "Yes. Let's see what you can do."

With another motion, Kermish send the Devil's Arms flew against Merilius...

- - - - -

Colette and Khan'Tharu fought against Lloyd and the others in a ferocious battle. The Linch, with his powerful magics, could easily froze Regal, Zelos and the others and battle with frost bolts emanating from his hands.

In a moment the Linch opened his jaw and a great, green-poison cloud shot from it. Luckily, Zelos and the others avoided, but when the cloud reach a house, it was immediately dissolved, leaving none trace.

"I think it would be a good idea we don't let that cloud touch us.", Zelos commented, the others nodded.

Lloyd, Yuan, Sheena and Presea weren't having much luck with Colette either. The girl attacked with a clearly intent of kill them and their attempts of talk just resulted in her shout back something at their face. Lloyd was the one that most hesitated in fight her back.

Nebilim wasn't turning the things easy either. At random times he would use simple spells against them or spread his energies to weak them. Colette took advantage of it and attacked with all her strength.

Sheena was also hesitating in fight and that made her one of main targets. Colette launched her chackrans with such strength that they turned into blurs of purple and black. When she was about to attack Sheena again, Colette released her cursed chackran and it floated near her open palm, starting to spin at great speed.

"Mortal Wheel!", Colette proclaimed, letting the ring flew until it touch the ground and started to dug it, leaving a little trench behind.

Sheena jumped aside, avoiding the spinning chackran from cut her feet. At that moment Colette flew against her and started to attack with great strength. Sheena defended each of her blows, but didn't notice the spinning chackran, scaring the ground, coming to her again.

The female ninja just noticed that when the chackran was near her right feet. She tried to avoid another attack from Colette and the chackran by spinning her body, but the Evil Eye caught her at the side of her right feet. The cut was superficial, but bring some pain to her, giving to the possessed angel the chance she needed.

Colette cut Sheena in the face and the stomach, used Ray Thrust to hit her in the abdomen almost taking all her air, Para Ball and quickly charged and launched Angel Feathers. Sheena was pushed away hearing Colette's tauting voice:

"How about now? Not a pretty face anymore, hu?", Sheena didn't believe it was Colette this time. It must be Nebilim. "When I end with you, Lloyd won't want to even look to your twisted face."

The angel went to the attack again, her face showed an evil smile and her eyes soulless eyes an assassin gleam. Sheena didn't have time to think until Lloyd came in her front and blocked the attack, trying to push the angel away.

"Colette! You don't want to kill Sheena, I know you don't!", Lloyd tried to say.

"Don't come trying to say what I must do Lloyd!", the chackran on the ground returned to Colette's hand and she slashed it at Lloyd's arms. "You're just an idiot."

She kicked him and dodged of an attack from Yuan and Presea, fighting back against them. The two were the only ones that were actually fighting.

Sheena looked to her right and saw Regal being beaten by the Linch's hands which seemed to be glowing with white energies. Zelos saved his friend from another punch using Super Lightning Blade on the undead creature.

Khan'Tharu seemed to be affecting by lightning and fire, but Sheena knew that a better option against that type of creature would be light. Genis was casting spells at the Linch, but the creature either avoided it or sent an counter-spell of ice. Raine was too much busy trying to cure and cast protection spells to cast an attack, light spell.

The strength of the Linch was incredible. When Zelos tried to hit him again, Khan'Tharu grabbed the Chosen's hair and throw him against Regal, who was standing up. Zelos would have whimpered about almost have his hair pulled out of his head, but found it wasn't a good hour to do so.

The undead mage floated to them, but when he heard steps nearby he turned to see Sheena jumping and launching many card seals against him.

"Demon Seal!", the technique blew the creature away, making him hit a nearby house.

Sheena thought that the skeleton would break of the impact, but the Linch quickly recovered. She still could sense her attack made some effect by the change of the energies around the Linch. That was the type of enemy that just someone who could feel mana or spiritual presences could see the real damage the attacks made.

Khan'Tharu looked to Sheena in her eyes. She felt again shivers through her spine. Probably Lloyd felt the same when the otherworldly magician analyzed him. Khan'Tharu then spoke in what seemed to be a bothered tone:

"Another Children of the Light? This is getting monotonous...", Sheena got confused by that statement. Did she hear right?

"What are talking about? I'm not a Children of the Light, Merilius is.", the female ninja replied. The Linch seemed to laugh at that if it was even possible for a skeleton.

"Don't try to fool me. I sense the pact of Luna upon you and... wait.", the Linch looked attentively to her again. "Oh, I see."

Before Sheena could ask what he meant by that, a Photon spell hit the creature dead on. Khan'Tharu turned to his adversaries. She heard a blur of wings and again turned to see Colette coming to her.

The blond angel used Stardust Cross against Sheena, who jumped from the falling stars and saw Lloyd coming to defend her again. Colette's accursed weapons clashed against the boy's Material Blades.

"What's your problem?! Do you will just stand there, blocking my attacks? Now you turned into a coward?", the angel said.

"It's not you who is talking Colette, it's Nebilim. It must be.", Lloyd said, almost desperate, while tried to hold off the powerful girl.

"Hu, idiot, stubborn and blind. I just wonder how someone like you could turn into the Eternal Swordsman.", Colette said, almost spitting the words at Lloyd. "You can't even see that it's me who is talking.", she pushed him with a kick and threw Ray Satellite at the red clad swordsman. The blade like chackran cut through his armor under the shirt and made a deep cut in the chest. "I just wonder why I even let you come with me at the Journey of the Regeneration. I feared you would just spoil everything like you spoiled in Iselia.", another kick and a punch with all of Colette's strength made Lloyd flew backwards and slide through the floor. "It must be out of pity."

Lloyd started to feel weak. He didn't know if it was because of Colette's cruel words or because Nebilim was circulating him, but, even thinking that was not Colette, a part of Lloyd, one which he tried to ignore with all his strength until now, felt that it was Colette talking.

The Eternal Swordsman was almost giving up to believe. Each of Colette's words seemed to pierce his heart. She was bringing back all his ancient doubts of that time, when Iselia got destroyed, and when he wondered if when Colette knew that he was the responsible for her village's destruction, she would even let him to come with her in the Regeneration Ritual.

His thoughts were interrupted when Yuan descended near Colette, thrusting his blade in the ground:

"Thunder Explosion!", the rain of Lightnings hit the girl and made she turn back.

Presea came from behind and used Mass Devastation, making heavy rocks hit Colette.

"Get prepared!", Yuan said. He and Presea jumped at the same time, lading at each other's side, thrusting their weapons at the ground in the same time, pronouncing. "Conducting Soil!"

To each rock that hit Colette, two lightnings came, one hitting at her and another at the rock, making it explode on her. Sheena took the chance and grab one of Colette's chackran sand threw it away while Lloyd, seeing the chance too, made it with another. The blond girl then fell to the ground.

From his fight, Khan'Tharu saw that and tried to go for the weapons, but stopped and suddenly turned to attack his adversaries again. The other group was already getting tired, they had used almost all of their mana, but the skeleton still persisting. Not even the undead that they fought before were so resistant like him.

Genis and Raine knew if they could use Prism Starts they might turn the fight to their favor, but the Unison Spell required a lot of time to get ready and that time they didn't have.

The other four knelled near Colette, she seemed more calm now, maybe they could now break the spell like they did with Presea. But the question was, how could they make she felt better when what made Nebilim control her was two of her friends being in love with each other?

"Colette, are you all right?", Lloyd asked when he saw the girl moving.

She didn't answered, she just knelled, looking to the ground. The group was about to talk something when they heard a sound of something cutting through the air.

Yuan and Presea got hit in the arm by the Evil Eye chackrans, making them to clutch their wounds. At the time Lloyd and Sheena looked to them, Colette showed her wings once again and a circle appeared beneath her, making feathers flew around her.

The four friends looked back to her and saw that her eyes still soulless and with that assassin gleam of before.

"Hu, fools.", she said.

Followed by that line, beams of light started to rain upon Lloyd, Sheena, Yuan and Presea. The four didn't have chance to use their defensive techniques in time and the beams hit dead on. Lloyd and Sheena, who were nearer to Colette, were caught by her Ring Cyclone, which send them to the ground together, side by side.

Colette went up to them and lift her weapons, ready for the final strike against her friends. Nebilim appeared in their front, grinning:

"You should be honored to be the first couple that I actually allow to die together.", the shadow said in its venous tone, with an hint of amusement. "I generally kill one and let the other to cry over his corpse until he beg for death."

The specter grinned even more by remembering that torture he used to apply. Colette didn't show any reaction at that, she was just looking to Lloyd and Sheena. The gleam in her eyes was anger mixed with what seemed to be desire to kill.

"Colette, don't do this. We really regret if we caused any pain to you, but do you really think that by killing us this will make you feel better?", Sheena tried to argue.

"It's too late for excuses. I already decided to take the darkness and I don't need of you anymore.", Colette said in a cold voice, devoid of emotion.

Yuan and Presea were getting up at the time to see Colette move her chackrans to strike.

"NO!!!", Yuan and Presea shouted while Lloyd and Sheena closed their eyes, waiting for the lethal blow.

Moments passed and they didn't feel anything that could indicate their life ended. Opening their eyes, the couple saw the chackrans, inches of their noses and Colette holding it, her hands shaking. She seemed to be fighting to get the weapons closer to them, but it was like some invisible force was holding her.

Then her eyes went wide and she started to scream and walk back clutching her chest like she did when they discovered she was possessed by Nebilim.

"Wh...why I'm feeling this?!", she asked, looking desperately to Nebilim's shadow.

"Damn! Get back the control now you useless! Before you...", Nebilim suddenly inclined back, like he had received a strong punch, and disappeared.

"Nebilim! Argh!", Colette then threw the chackrans aside, her arms still trembling like it wasn't her will to do that. "No! I was so close...", she lied down while tears started to come from her eyes. "Damn you...", Colette mumbled between her teeth.

Sheena and Lloyd looked, struck. What was just happening? Yuan and Presea came also and looked to Colette, who was whimpering and crying in the floor.

The blond angel's eyes flickered, backing to its normal blue tone. Colette looked to her friends from her position. Lloyd's chin drop, looking back to him was the Colette he always knew. Her eyes showed its gentle gleam of always even behind the curtain of tears that came from it.

"Colette... is that you?"

"Lloyd... Sheena...", the Chosen said, looking to the two of them. "I... I don't know if I still can hold it. It's so strong and... it keep telling... telling me that I will still be alone."

Lloyd wasn't understanding a thing. What did she mean by "it"? Did she broke the spell by herself? Yuan approached to her and knelled. The blue haired Seraphim started to talk:

"Colette, I know what you mean. I know what is this thing that keep telling you that. Don't pay attention to it.", Yuan's voice was firm.

Presea, Lloyd and Sheena approached to the fallen girl.

"But... what if I really stay alone?", Colette said.

"Forget it! You won't stay alone! People like you always have someone there for you, always have friends even if they're just friends. You won't end alone like it says, cause you have people close to your heart.", Yuan said.

Lloyd wanted to say him to not shout like that, but Sheena put her hand in his shoulder. He understood the message.

"And what if you don't have anybody that special, I lived good part of my life now without it. But you will certainly encounter someone. It may not be now and not even in much time, but you will encounter. Even I encountered, but the different is that you have everything to become happy.", Colette now looked to him. Her teary eyes showing what seemed to be a new hope. "Don't let 'this' ruins your life like it almost did with me. Besides, do you really wanted Lloyd to be yours?"

Colette looked away, thinking in what she really wanted about Lloyd. The voice stilled in her head, trying to make she to give the control to it again, but now it was barely a whisper. She then finally recognized what she really wanted.

"I... just... wanted him to be happy. I didn't want to hurt Lloyd. Neither Sheena. I want both them to be happy, they really do deserve it.", she said.

Lloyd and Sheena knelled near Colette. The blond angel looked to them and asked, almost pleading:

"Lloyd... Sheena... can you ever forgive me for all that I've done?"

"I never believed it was really you Colette.", Lloyd said, but the blond Chosen replied.

"It was me... it was a part of me... that wanted you to suffer like I was."

Colette dropped more tears now. The others battling against the Linch noticed everybody knelled near Colette's figure. Khan'Tharu also noticed something wrong and looked to the scene.

"It doesn't matter Colette. The important is that you're back, but if this makes you feel better we forgive you.", Sheena said with a caring look. Lloyd nodded with one of his typical smile.

Colette smile also, one of her typical warm smiles that were so common to her. Now she seemed to be back.

"Thanks...", a golden crack appeared in her forehead and started to extend by all her body while she spoke. "Lloyd, Sheena... I love you."

"We too, Colette.", the two spoke at the same time not surprised by the cracks.

When the cracks covered all the blond Chosen's body, a bright flash made everybody shield their eyes. A sound of explosion and magic, glass-like fragments flew everywhere, stopping in the air and dissolving into black smoke.

The group of heroes rushed to Colette while Khan'Tharu floated to the two chackrans laying in the ground, which let out their piercing screams when the darkness started to return to them.

Colette struggled to sat. She seemed to be weakened, but better. The girl then looked to all her friends and again apologized for all the trouble she caused. Yuan, Genis, Lloyd and Sheena couldn't help but smile at realize that Colette was truly back.

"You don't need to apologize, dork. Actually, it's us who have to apologize by what happened.", Lloyd said.

"No you don't. It was me who was weak again. I let Nebilim deceive me and let me believe you betrayed me. I'm the one who caused all."

"There was more about it, didn't it?", Yuan asked and Colette nodded.

The group was about to ask what they were talking about, when they heard someone panting at a corner. Turning, they saw Khan'Tharu, holding the Evil Eyes, and Nebilim's shadow, which seemed to have just escaped from an almost death situation.

"Master, are you all right?", Khan'Tharu asked to his lord.

"I... underestimate... the girl's heart...", the specter said, painting at each word. "I lowered the defenses that held her... and her heart fought back so violently that it could have destroyed part of my power...", Nebilim glanced the group while spoke the next words. "Anyway... don't think this victory has any meaning... for now... Ara Tharu... will be... revived..."

Chilling winds filled the air around the Linch and the Dark Lord's shadow. Lloyd and the others stood ready in the case of an attack. Great ice crystals started to form, covering Khan'Tharu's and Nebilim's figures in a case of pointy ice. When they were totally covered, the winds stopped and seconds latter the great ice stalagmite exploded, launching some shards at a short distance.

The group then looked back at where the ice stalagmite was and found that Nebilim and Khan'Tharu disappeared...

- - - - -

Merilius was launched against one of the chamber's walls by what seemed the fifteen time in that fight. Even so, he stood again, however with some difficulty.

The magic swordsman was severely injured. His lower lip had three cuts from the other times he was launched against the walls and the floor. His armor was totally destroyed by the previous attacks of the floating Devil's Arms and Kermish's own attacks. His cape was tattered and wet with his own blood. Several cuts of all the sizes and deeps were by all his body.

Merilius thought that he could handle Kermish alone, but he forgot that the dead Chosen One had Nebilim and the Devil's Arms at his side and now he was paying by his foolishness. Always he tried to attack, one floating Devil's Arm came and blocked his attack while Kermish attacked, wielding another Devil's Arm or with his bare hands and dark magic. Merilius' Runeblade was close to useless against all those Devil's Arms and the Children of the Light was already feeling tired from all the blood he lost during the fight.

"C'mon, is that the best you can do? You didn't even touch me yet.", Kermish taunted, grinning more than never.

The warrior of the light grumbled. He was losing this battle and he didn't even make a scratch on Kermish. Merilius charged again, using Light Thrust, but the ancient Chosen avoided that with ease. Merilius was slow due his tiredness and all the energy he used previously.

The light sphere went to the point of the sword and disappeared while Kermish grab Merilius by the hair and pinned him against the floor. Merilius felt his head buzzing when he hit hard the ground yet again. He could hear Kermish's arrogant, taunting voice:

"Pathetic! Do you actually think you stood any chance against me? You're not match to me even before I got the Devil's Arms and you still hardly be of any challenge.", pulling Merilius' hair again, Kermish suspended him in the air and punched him in the stomach with all his strength, sending the Children of the Light to the wall. "You pathetic excuse for an hero. You didn't save your uncles and your baby cousin in the past. What makes you think you are able to stop me?"

Merilius tried to stand, but this time all his fatigue and wounds finally caught him and the magic swordsman needed to cling in his swords' hilt to not fall to the ground. Sustained by the sword and with a blurry vision due the pain and the tiredness, Merilius could only see the lines of Kermish's figure and sense that other two figures were approaching of him by his sides.

"So, this is how the last one of Ishtar lineage encounters his end... really pathetic. Well, I suppose I shouldn't expect any less of a failure like you. Slash, Scarv, you may put our friend out of his misery.", Kermish's voice sounded.

The light warrior looked to his sides and saw the two henchmen ready to strike him. Trying to speak them to reason one last time, Merilius said:

"You two... don't you see...? Kermish will doom all this world if he's not stopped..."

"And what so? If the boss have a scary, powerful spirit at his side this only means we're at the right side. This means I will be finally able to get my revenge.", Shioru said in what seemed to be a smile.

"Indeed. And I also will finally get back what that nasty elves took from me and rid this world from their kind.", Scarv pronounced in his roar-like voice.

Merilius lost his hopes with that sayings. It was obvious those two were so blind by their own desires of vengeance like Kermish was by his hope that Nebilim would help him to forge that new element.

The Children of the Light couldn't fight even against that two as he was right now, but he wouldn't let they end with his life that way. Using the last of his power, Merilius send it to the crystal in his Runeblade's hilt. The stone emitted a bright flash and in the next second Merilius disappeared, using the teleport technique of his family.

The two high soldiers then looked to where the half-elf disappeared and sworn. Before they did anything more, Kermish's voice echoed in the chamber:

"Leave him. He won't be a problem anymore. Even if he did scape and live, it will be too late for him to stop anything."

Turning to the great, multicolored gem at his front, Kermish started to shot energies at the Heart. The Devil's Arms floated around the Heart, making a circle around it and starting to also transfer energy to the gem.

The Elemental Heart glowed with an eerie light and started to beat, sending energies to the multiple magic tubes connected to it...

- - - - -

The entire city started to shake, like a little earthquake was taking place. Rocks were falling from the roof, but, strangely, it seemed to be avoiding the buildings.

Lloyd and his group were fighting to maintain the equilibrium while the whole city was shaking.

"Wh... what's going on?", Lloyd asked and after he jumped aside, avoiding being hit by a rock of the his head's size.

"I don't know, but it's better we get out of her!", Raine stated.

Everybody started to run for the tunnel, hoping it hadn't collapsed. Genis then remembered that someone was still missing.

"Wait. What about Merilius? He's still there.", Genis said, almost stopping, but Presea grab his wrist to maintain him walking while she spoke.

"Don't worry. He's strong and he can take care of himself. The probabilities of him to be eliminated are...", she ceased to speak when realized she was again speaking in her habitual analyses. "Hum, he surely will find a way to scape.", Presea said, choosing the best words she could think on.

At the distance the group saw the tunnel from where they came. Entering they passed through the walls Raine called their attention, but soon found that a section of tunnel had collapsed. Before they could turn a more violent quake made the part of the tunnel from where they came collapse.

The heroes then realized they were trapped and the quakes continued, they would be buried alive if didn't find a way to escape. When Colette went to check the tunnel that collapsed behind them, she tripped and fell flat face.

"Colette! Are you alright?", Genis asked.

"Yeah. I just tripped in this cable.", she said.

The group then looked to the said cable. Regal recognized it as being a power cable and it was connected to the floor lights.

"I see, that may be our salvation.", the president stated, drawing an "uh" from Lloyd. "That cable is connected to the lights and since the base was deactivated it requires another energy source. The only think that could support the machines and the lights would be an energy station at the surface."

The group, less Lloyd, took the idea. They could follow the cable so they would find a way to the surface.

"Leave that to me!", Sheena said, preparing to summon. "I call for the servant of mother earth. I summon thee. Come, Gnome!"

The big, hamster-like Summon Spirit appeared in an flash of light-brown light. Gnome felt the quakes and seemed some of uncomfortable.

"Whoa. Are we near to what I think we are near to?", he asked, looking back to the tunnel from where the group came.

"No time for that! Gnome, excavate following this cable so we can scape from here!", the female summoner said in a hurry, pointing to the power cable.

"Hum, 'kay.", the spirit acknowledge.

Taking out his shovel, Gnome started to dig in an incredible speed for his size. The group followed the newly made tunnel...

- - - - -

A small hole formed in the floor of the hidden energy station, which was also abandoned, with exception of the machines that still working. The hole then get bigger until a great, heavy guardian spirit passed through it, followed by a group of nine people.

Sheena thanked Gnome and soon the Summon Spirit faded with a nod. Yuan was the last to emerge from the tunnel. Part of the group dusted themselves when they felt another big quake, which seemed to be coming from outside...

- - - - -

The desert lands at the north of Gaorachia Forest shook, sending birds and other animals away from that region. The unfortunate, ground creatures that didn't achieve to leave in time were soon shallowed by the big fissures that started to appear around the whole desert.

Hills, small canyons, all the scenery was falling apart by the big earthquake that was happening. Debris, rocks and dead trees fell inside the cracks and disappeared from sight. Soon, something started to emerge from under the earth.

A big, transparent, purple and pink, dome-like sphere started to appear. The colors seemed to flow around all the dome and inside it was a city with a big fortress inside and tall walls around it. The walls almost touched in the extremities of the dome.

The quakes stopped when the city's floor was at the level of the land. Now, where once was the central part of the desert stood the City of Darkness, involved by the strange shield that seemed to shield it from the outside world...


	26. A New Mission Begins

Hey, hey! Before we begin one question: what did you think about Merilius? Because this chapter will be now focused on him. Yes guys, this is an OC's POV chapter.

Actually this chapter is more like an interlude before the next part of the fic actually begins, so I hope you enjoy. Here we will explore Kermish's views about his own life and his actions as well as some about his personality (yeah, I know, the guy sounds some of emo).

Without delay, time to read!

* * *

**Chapter 26**

**A New Mission Begins**

Merilius struggled to move his body across the plains where he reappeared. Using his sword as a walking stick, the bloody and severely beaten Children of Light tried to continue to move. He didn't know where to go, he just didn't want to stop. If he stopped, his mind would force him to see his failures, his fight with Lloyd and Yuan and the fateful battle against Kermish again.

Never in his whole life, Merilius was feeling so miserable like now. He didn't just fail with his family, he failed with all the world. He failed to protect the Devil's Arms and he failed in stop Kermish from bring back Nebilim's Fortress. From where he was, Merilius could feel the earth shaking and knew what that meant.

The most unbearable thought was to know that he helped it to happen. He helped Kermish... no. He helped _Nebilim _to gain all his former power and position back. Of course, the fortress still bound by the barrier that prevented it from gain its whole potential again and ascend to the skies, but how much time would pass until Nebilim found a way to break the barrier _if_ he didn't already know.

The Children of the Light thought back at Kermish. That damned, insane bastard seemed to realize what he was doing and still he went to it until the end. Merilius now knew that Kermish was well aware of what Nebilim was capable of and how powerful the Dark Lord once was. In fact, Kermish seemed to be hoping that all about Nebilim was true.

And that element that Nebilim promised to help Kermish to create... Merilius never payed much attention to that. He thought it was just another of Kermish's crazy, impossible dreams, but if the two were united, they could succeed in doing that and spirits know what type of horror this would result.

But that all didn't matter now. The light warrior was dying. He could feel his life and mana leaving his body little by little. In truth, he didn't expect to live even after escape, he just didn't want to die in the foul city where so much blood was spilled and lives were ruined. He could still remember when he entered there. He could still feel the presence of the thousands of souls that were cursed to wander through the city and that were used like "snacks" to the demons and shadows that lived there.

He remembered all the stories about the city and its aura. The aura of death and sorrow. The aura of those who were slaughtered by Nebilim to maintain his supposed "order". The aura of the Dark Lord himself.

After all he witness, after all he helped to bring back, death seemed to be a pleasure thing. Nothing could compare to the horrors that Merilius just saw. It went much beyond everything his family told to him about the Forgotten Ages and the atrocities that happened there.

Merilius then felt the force left his legs and fell to the ground. He didn't know where he was, but that didn't matter, nothing more mattered. Nebilim won. The last of Vallor's lineage would die, alone and in disgrace.

He just waited that maybe Lloyd and his friends escaped. Maybe they would have succeed where he failed. Maybe they would defeat Nebilim. But after all he saw, the magic swordsman didn't have forces to even think in such positive thing like that.

_My family died... the world is now doomed... and all is my fault... Kermish... Nebilim is right... I'm a pathetic excuse for a hero..._, with that thought, Merilius started to lose conscience and the world around him dove in darkness...

- - - - -

Scent of dew entered in his nostrils and a gentle breeze seemed to involve his being. A feeling of calmness filled Merilius' being like he never felt before.

Was him in the heavens? Was him allow to join with his ancestors in the Golden Lands after all that he done? It didn't seem he would deserve such a bless.

The Children of the Light then opened his eyes. He was at the shadow of a tree... a big tree. The sun rays passed through the leaves, giving to the local a serene beauty. Birds sang around and the atmosphere was the one of a sacred place.

Merilius never was in such calm place in all his travels, he certainly would have remembered of a natural sanctuary like that. He then noticed he was without his shirt. He was bandaged and what seemed to be medicinal herbs were applied in his wounds. He was alive then.

"You woke.", a fluid, serene voice called.

Merilius looked to his right and saw a green haired, tall woman, holding a staff. The light warrior's jaw fell. He never saw someone like her before. Calmness seemed to emanate from the woman's very being and flow to him. Her green eyes emanated the same feeling of serenity of that place.

If he didn't know better, Merilius would have thought he was at the front of a Summon Spirit. But he never heard about a Summon Spirit dressed in green and white and with that description. Neither she was a mortal being. Merilius could felt that the mana around her was too much different from any living being. She seemed strangely familiar, but the Children of the Light was sure that he never encountered someone like her before.

"I see that you're troubled.", the woman said with a serene, yet serious expression in her face. "So I may explain to you. I am Martel, I am the embodiment of the mana and I am the spirit of the Mana Tree."

Merilius struck at that. He was at the front of the very life source of the world. That information took some time to be processed in his brain. How could someone so pathetic like him being at the presence of such important entity?

The magic swordsman tried to stand, but his wounds still paining. Martel went to him and put her hand in his shoulder.

"You shouldn't try to stand. Your wounds are not healed yet.", she said.

Another information came to Merilius: the Tree was said to be at the range of Hima mountains, at the frontier of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. That meant he teleported all the way from Gaorachia region to there. But he didn't have power to even reach Sybak, less teleport through half of a country.

"How did I arrive here?", he asked. Martel smiled while answered.

"You received help. We knew that you wouldn't have enough force to scape from the fortress at time so we helped you."

"'We'? You mean the Summon Spirits and you?", Martel nodded. The Children of the Light looked blankly to the space, after all he done the spirits saved his life. "What good does save my life would make? I'm certainly you know that the fortress was revived by now."

Martel nodded again, but remained silent, turning back to her serious expression. She knew what the return of Nebilim and his lackeys meant to that world. Now, more than never, they needed to find a way to stop Nebilim.

The Spirit of the Tree looked back to Merilius. The expression of the light warrior was sad, almost depressed. Martel didn't know what happened inside the City of Darkness, that city was out of her sight by the mana flows around the world, but she could have an idea.

The magic swordsman tried to stand again, but the pain just let him to sit. He wasn't in condition to go to anywhere. Martel knelled near him and again tried to make him to stay and calm down.

"You need to heal. Stay here by some time.", she said, sounding caring.

"Why are you being so nice to me?", Merilius asked, that was much more than he deserved by all that he helped to happen. "Why did you treat me?"

"Because you're a special person. You still have a whole life and, besides, I would do the same to anybody with a good heart that came here needing help."

A special person? How could he, Merilius, the disgrace of Ishtar family, be a special person after had even helped Nebilim to collect the expheres?

He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve to be at the presence of Martel. He didn't deserve to be helped by her. He didn't deserve anything at all. She should have left him to die at the fields like the pathetic failure he was.

"I know what you may be thinking, but you deserved to be saved.", Martel said.

"No, I didn't! I helped Nebilim to come back. I couldn't stop Kermish from bring the fortress back. I've... I've failed in my mission to guard the Devil's Arms.", Merilius replied, looking to the ground. He couldn't look Martel in the eyes for more than two minutes, her gazer was too intense.

"You did all you could to accomplish your previous mission, Merilius. Nebilim is a cunning adversary, you didn't know what he was planning. I still have the memories of my previous existence. I saw the rise and the fall of Ara Tharu. I saw Vallor helping the people to evade Nebilim's wrath and I saw when Vallor decided to take in arms against Nebilim."

Merilius snorted. If she knew all oh that, then she more than anyone should be angry at him by let something as dangerous as Nebilim escape. He heard that the deranged elf once tried to study the Great Kharlan Tree to find a way to limit the mana generation, but the Tree used the power of earth around it to expulse Nebilim without he even get near the Tree.

Having the Dark Lord back meant not just a danger to the world, but to it source of life also. Martel should be furious at him by ever let Nebilim come back, not saving his life and trying to make him to feel better.

"If you know this all then why did you save my life? I would be better dead.", Merilius pronounced.

"Don't say such a thing. You still have a chance, Merilius. Why are you punishing yourself so much by things you couldn't do anything about?"

"Because these things are now arising to destroy the world. It was my responsibility to take care to nothing of it happened, but I've failed! I'm a disgrace for the name of Vallor and I'm a disgrace for my family's name. It would be better if I die right now, so...", what would be better for him to be dead Merilius never said, cause in that moment a firm hand slapped his left cheek.

Martel's expression was now from serious and caring to serious and angry. Merilius rubbed his red cheek looking to her. Did she really just slapped him? Merilius was never slapped in his whole life just like now. Not even his uncles did that.

Looking to Martel with wide eyes, the Children of the Light was almost taken aback by the sudden reaction of the Tree's Spirit. Did she make that to punish him by his failure? Looking to her eyes he saw another thing than accusation or blame, it was deception.

"I didn't give and still giving the life to this world for one of the beings that I helped to evolve comes and says that he prefers to be dead than alive.", she said in a solemn tone. She sounded like Raine, when the half-elven woman was lecturing. "You talk about your failure with your family when you don't even know what was your real failure."

Again Merilius struck. What was she talking about? "Not knowing what was his real failure"? The magic swordsman was about to reply that he knew what was his failure, but stopped when looked to Martel's green eyes again. He felt like she could read each of his thoughts and knew what he was about to reply.

The warrior lost his words. She sounded so confident while talking about him, like he didn't do anything of wrong and like she knew him better than himself. Well, that was possible since she was the entity that overseen all the mana around the world. Probably she knew about when he lost his family and lost the Devil's Arms even if the Mana Tree stilled just the Great Seed in that time.

"Say to me Merilius Ishtar, why do you talk about your failures and mistakes like it wasn't possible to correct them?", the half-elf stayed silent.

He now couldn't find the reason why he make a martyr of himself. He just thought that his family deserved something better than him, that he wasn't worthy of born in a noble family like the Ishtar lineage.

"I... I just... wanted to make my family proud... and instead... I failed with the mission that was given to me. I just wanted to make Luna, my parents, my uncles happy by having me. But I brought death and disgrace to everybody around me.", Merilius said, trying to speak his thoughts.

"And this means to stop to trust in people and to isolate from the world like you did?", she asked again.

"I had to. Nebilim would bring suffering to everybody near me. He already did that to a friend of mine and I knew that he would continue to do that to anybody close to me. I couldn't.... I didn't want to suffer the pain of lost and treason anymore.", Merilius blurted out.

He never before had admitted that to himself, but he had fear. Fear of being betrayed again because of Nebilim. Fear of have to lost another one that he held dear because of the Dark Lord. Fear of have to live in pain for the rest of his life.

That feeling of fear... he closed that at the deepest corner of his soul and preferred to think that he was closing himself for the sake of his mission. Now he was spilling that out and after so much time that feeling seemed like something poisonous to his soul. It felt like it was always there, killing him little by little until nothing was left.

"This was your biggest failure Merilius.", the magic swordsman looked back to Martel when heard that. "It's not the fact that you lost the Devil's Arms. It's not the fact that you couldn't save your uncles. Your failure was to leave that Nebilim turned to be your only reason to live."

His heart almost jumped out of his chest at hearing that. Memories started to come back to Merilius. The nights that he spent awake, checking the Devil's Arms. The tauting, venous voice of Nebilim, speaking to him from the dual swords. The people that he avoided, saying that he was someone with a dangerous past.

The truth hit the Children of the Light. It was true. After his uncles were killed, his cousin disappeared and tried to destroy the twin blades Nebilim with his own Runeblade, Merilius lived just for his mission. He stopped to smile, he stopped to enjoy the things. All that mattered in his life was his burden.

"This is because you felt so lost and like your life doesn't have valuable when you lost the Devil's Arms. Because you let the weapons took control over you life. You let them to become your destiny. You let all of your choices revolve around the weapons like you were a guardian and nothing more than it.

"You talk about your failure in didn't protect them, but you didn't realize that your mission wasn't just to guard the weapons. You failed with your life.", Martel went to one of the flowers that were around the Mana Tree and picked one. "All the beings have the power to choose their destiny, be it for the best or for the worst. But you, Merilius, you gave up to choose. You let the Devil's Arms chose for you what your life would be."

That was true. Each of her words were true. Merilius let the Devil's Arms became his destiny. He considered himself like not having the right to make anything, but to guard the accursed items. He let Nebilim decide his future.

Merilius finally found strength to stand, but he still looking to the ground, ashamed. All this time he promised that he wouldn't let Nebilim deceive him, that the Dark lord would never lure him to do anything. However, he didn't notice that he already let Nebilim took control over him, over his life.

He knew that Nebilim was capable of transform one's life in a living hell, but he forgot that there's thousands of ways to do it and one of them is to make that the person hadn't control over her own life anymore. All this time and Merilius didn't notice that he turned into another victim of Nebilim's power.

"Do you really think that Luna, Vallor and all of your relatives wanted for you to turn into a living shell, into someone that just exists to accomplish one mission and then becomes useless when this mission ends?", Martel asked. Each of her words transmitted such calmness that it was almost like just her voice was sufficient to cure Merilius' soul's deepest scars.

"No...", the Children of the Light said, water started to come out to his eyes.

Merilius almost never cried. There was just two situations in his life which he really cried. One was in that rainy night when his uncles were attacked and killed. The other was in his battle against Lloyd and Yuan, not too much days ago, when Luna and Aska came and stopped him. Aside that, he promised that he would never cry again, he promised he would be strong and guard the Devil's Arms with his life.

"Merilius...", a new voice called, a familiar one.

Quickly turning his head, Merilius saw Luna sat at her crescent moon. A sad smile was on her lips, indicating she heard all. For the first time in what seemed thousands of years, Luna stood. She was as tall as Martel.

Silence fell upon the scene. Unspoken words could be read around the whole scenary. Then Luna opened her arms and Merilius, without hesitate, ran for the Summon Spirit and hugged her, letting the tears that he held by all those years fell freely.

The embodiment of the light returned the hug and let the half-elf cry. She knew how he was feeling right now. Merilius might not know, but he and Vallor were much alike. Serious when they had to be, tender and caring when they wanted and acted like they were the only ones who could stop Nebilim.

She just regretted that she wasn't nearby when her other children got killed by that raged monsters. If she wasn't sealed, she could have go for him and try to make him to maintain the hopes, to prevent Merilius from fell in the traumatizing state that he went. It was another thing that she secretly blamed Mithos for. He distanced her from her descendants in such critical moment.

All that Luna could do now was to act like the mother he never had and lent her shoulder for him to cry. It didn't matter if she was breaking the rules by comforting him right now, this was the last of her family and she would be here no matter what.

After some time, Merilius' tears ceased and the Children of the Light looked to the only one that he could call mother. His eyes were pleading for her to accept the apologizes that were coming:

"Luna... can you ever forgive me by letting Nebilim to control my life? Can you forgive me for my failure?", Merilius lowered his head in shame again, now not by the guilt of had lost the Devil's Arms, but by the shame of let the Devil's Arms to turn into his life.

"I forgive thee. As long as thee recognize thy mistakes I'll forgive thee.", Luna stroked Merilius' face and put aside some loosen strands from his eyes.

"I really regret for all that I've done and... I want to correct it.", Merilius said still looking to the ground.

Luna hugged her children once more, like she was with fear of lose him again to the ones with a dark heart if she let him to go. In that moment, she knew that what he needed was someone that comprehend what he was feeling. Someone that could give to him the love and forgiveness that just a mother could give.

"I also regret by not being able to help and tell thee sooner. If it wasn't by these stupid rules of not interfering, I would have raided that hideout and rescued thee from them.", Luna said, sounding like she was apologizing by her ineptitude.

"I know,I know. I had to see that by myself. I just wished he hadn't seen it so late."

"But you saw my children, you saw. Thee realized thy mistakes before they could took thy life. If thee have departed from this world without realizing what Nebilim tried to make to thy life they would have really won."

Martel was leaned against the Tree, watching the two relatives talking under her Tree. It was good that Luna had the idea to transport Merilius to here. She doubted that there was someplace in that lands that would be so calm like the lands around the Mana Tree.

"It was you who transported me to here, wasn't you?", Merilius asked, Luna acknowledge with a nod. "I bet you also told to Martel to talk to me before you do.", Merilius now achieved to smile.

"I thought thee needed to talk with someone that wasn't like thy mother before talk with me. I know how these type of things work for mortals.", Luna smiled back while giggled.

The Guardian of the Tree smiled at seeing what could only be considered a typical family scene. It was good to see someone recovering his trust and his hopes after had passed by what Merilius passed. She then went to them, speaking:

"It's good to see that you're finally making the peaces with yourself Merilius. I was starting to think that after all you would lose the main attribute of your family.", the magic swordsman looked to the Tree's Spirit, arching an eyebrow, confused. "Your family was always an optimist one. Even knowing their possible demise, even knowing that they might not live to see another day because of Nebilim's curse, they never ceased to live each day at the fullest. They always seek to live and to enjoy the bright side of all, despise that they could not have enough time to properly appreciate it."

Merilius seemed some of ashamed again. He remembered of his uncles always giving bright smiles to him, going in long strolls or simply laughing about something silly. They always tried to point the good things that existed.

_Life is a much brief thing, even without this curse._, this was a thought that his uncle once said to him. Those words meant so much, but Merilius forgot them after the attack in Gaorachia Forest.

The Children of the Light then made a new decision: he will now start to enjoy the good things of the life. He wouldn't let Nebilim thought that he had total control over his life and permanently affected him.

"If you're feeling better, then I think we may speak of important matters.", Martel spoke. Merilius turned to her, ears attentive. "You may have failed in protect the Devil's Arms, but that doesn't mean the things ended in this. You have another mission to accomplish Merilius and this time it will be me, Luna and the other Summon Spirits to place it upon you."

Merilius' eyes widened. A new mission given by the Summon Spirits and Martel themselves?! The warrior of the light looked to Luna and she gave to him a warm smile. That gesture was sufficient for him to understand.

"And what would be this mission?", he asked.

"You must stop Nebilim and put an end on his rule, once for all. This time, you don't need to do all by yourself. Remember that even your ancestor, Vallor, didn't face Nebilim alone. There's a group of people that will help you if you ask. Seek for their help and, together, defeat the Dark Lord."

The Children of the Light was already expecting that. He knew that this was a thing that he needed to do and this mission he felt that he would succeed. Luna may had forgiven him, but Merilius felt that he needed to redeem with himself and with the memory of his family.

The light warrior bowed for Martel and for Luna while saying:

"I accept this mission placed upon me and I will succeed. Not just for the sake of recover my honor and for the sake of forgive myself, but for the sake of all this world and everybody that lives in it!"

Merilius smiled at himself. He finally felt something that he didn't feel for what seemed an eternity: hope. He would have succeed in this new mission, he would learn how to live again so Luna, Martel, all the spirits, could be proud of him.

Happiness came to Merilius at the thought that now he finally have a chance. That Luna was there, hoping for him to succeed. This time he knew where to begin...

* * *

So, isn't this good a "family" chapter?

I know for some of you this thing of Summon Spirits having relationships and acting like people may sound some of strange, but, hey, let's not forget that Volt and Origin showed that they felt upset by Mithos' betrayal and Celsius and Efreet seemed to act like something occured between them. I think you already got the idea.

Until next chapter people!


	27. Renegade Shadows

Finally! Here we now begin a new part of my fic and as usual we could name it the same as this chapter's title.

The mood here will be lighter than in the other chapters, but with a sealed, creepy Darkness City, the spirit of a vengeful Dark Lord and a totally nut Fallen Chosen One the things can have some unexpected twists. I will also now add Nebilim's statics and story to my profile (at least part of it) in a special section, since he's not really an OC, but also nothing of specific is said about him in the game.

Stay tuned people, here it comes!

* * *

**Chapter 27**

**Renegade Shadows**

Rheairds flew around the great purple dome, containing the great city, while in the ground research groups tested the energies emanating from the great shield.

Denvir was some of uneasy to be so near that city. Even being contained by the barrier, the second in command could feel the aura of the fortress, weak, but still a terrifying aura.

After the city's arise from the deeps of the desert lands, Yuan came to the troops in Gaorachia Forest, saying for them to regroup at the base.

Discussions came and went about what happened. At the final, it was settled that a research party would go to the terrain around the city to analyze the dome with some troops in case of any attack. But none attack came and after they took the first results they saw that even if Kermish and Nebilim wanted, they couldn't attack.

_If they knew that this would happen, why did they bring it to the surface while they're inside?_, Denvir thought when he looked to the results. Whatever they might be planning it should be a really great plan if they actually wanted to use the City of Darkness.

- - - - -

Raine, Zelos, Regal and Yuan were at Sylvarant Base, waiting for the answer of Denvir and the Renegade's research team via Yuan's computer. They were discussing the last happening in the city and the new information they have. Two topics were the most discussed by them: Colette's possession and the disappearance of Merilius from the battle field.

The Renegade's agents hadn't see him in these two days that passed and the group of heroes were starting to worry if the Children of the Light was eliminated by Kermish. Presea and Colette kept claiming that he was in somewhere, possibly recovering from the battle in the city.

Raine found strange that now Presea was getting as optimist as Colette. When she asked the young ax wielder the answer surprised her:

"Negative thoughts may attract negatives results.", that was at least totally out of her simple, logic line of thinking. The experience with Nebilim should have really change Presea's way of see the things.

A sound of bip came from Yuan's computer. The Renegade leader pressed some keys and read the result of the analyses. Regal asked about the results after Yuan ended the reading.

"According to the results that dome around Nebilim's Fortress is a seal enchantment. It seems that it's biding the fortress to that continent. Also there's no way of anything enter or exit from the city."

"Then that means Kermish simply locked himself inside the city with all his band?", Regal asked. That seemed to be a very unwise decision, even for Kermish.

"Ha, I can bet all my charm that they're planing something. If that creepy spirit guy convinced my little angel to fought against us then this must be part of some kind of plan.", Zelos stated.

The others found it must be true. From all the displays of Nebilim's cunningness, it was obvious it all make part of a bigger scheme. If it was, Raine just saw one way for them to counter attack:

"If it is, we must see if there's anyway to break that protective spell and prepare for the case of Kermish and Nebilim try it."

- - - - -

In another room, Sheena, Lloyd and Colette were talking about other matters. Sheena and Lloyd were sat in a sofa and Colette in a comfortable chair.

As soon as the group had returned to the base, Lloyd and Yuan were insisting for Colette to go at the infirmary, even the girl saying that she was alright. The doctor of the infirmary said it was a luck that she had a stronger mana than normal humans if not she could have collapsed like Presea did and that would certainly difficult their escape from the city.

Genis also pointed the fact that if it wasn't for Colette had tripped in that cable, they may not have the idea to excavate their exit at the time. Like always, Colette clumsiness saved their life yet again.

Now she was here, sit with her two friends that considered themselves like the cause of her possession. She kept saying it wasn't their fault and she explained what really happened after Nebilim deceive her. Lloyd and Sheena both were surprised by the blond girl's tale.

"So, let me see if I get it. You're saying that the one that helped Nebilim to convince you and that said all that things to us was your evil side.", Lloyd summarized. Colette nodded.

Yuan had said to the others that it was the darkness of Colette that was talking with them the whole time. The group actually got shocked to hear that, but after thought better they realized it was the only explanation for her behavior.

"I always felt it. It was always in me all the time. When I... hid the things for myself, I could hear it, saying that I should stop that. That I should give up, because the people don't deserved that. That they weren't worth of my suffering.", Colette said. "I feel pain when it talked, so I tried to hid it too, but sometimes it was so strong that I almost felt like to cry."

"Well, this explains a lot.", Sheena stated. "Everybody has a dark side Colette. And this is always trying to convince us to make something bad or selfish. You don't need to have shame Colette. I for myself also heard it sometimes and... I once accepted that what happened in Mizuho was really my fault and... that I should be punished..."

Sheena seemed some of sad by remembering "that". "That" was the most coward thing she almost done in her whole life. If it wasn't for Tiga and Orochi to stop her, she wouldn't be here right now.

Lloyd put his arm around Sheena's shoulder. He also knew what was to have a voice saying that you should be punished by something wrong you make. He felt the same when Iselia was destroyed the first time, but he tried to concentrate on helping Colette to make up for his mistake.

The Eternal Swordsman then realized that Colette still looking and thought if he should retrieve his arm or not. Noticing that, Colette smiled while saying:

"I don't mind Lloyd. I already said it was my bad side that didn't like it. For me there's nothing wrong you two be together.", Lloyd and Sheena looked to her like thanking the angel for say that. "I don't want for you two stop to love each other just because of that."

Colette sighed at the memory of what her darkness said to them while it was in the control. Normally, she would never have said such things. Reflecting about the feelings she felt that hour, she found that her "bad" side also decided to place years of anger and frustration on them.

"Can you two promise to me that you won't refrain ourselves from being happy because of me? Promise?", Colette asked, she just couldn't live with the idea that she could have make Lloyd and Sheena broke up because of her weaknesses and mistakes.

"Ok, we promise then.", Sheena said smiling, Lloyd nodded. Colette seemed happy by hear that.

"Then can you kiss each other to prove that you won't hold just because of me?", Colette said with a reassuring smile.

Lloyd and Sheena blushed wildly. What kind of request was that? Anyway they saw that it was important for Colette to know that they wouldn't refrain themselves because of her. Her smile was her warm one, so she probably just wanted to know that for them it was alright.

Little did they know that in truth, Colette's smile was a mischievous one. Even a professional prankster would have difficult to differentiate her warm smile from her mischievous one. She would never say, but her intention with that ask was also to see they blushing and getting embarrassed like that. The two were funny when they got embarrassed.

Deciding it wouldn't make any bad, Lloyd and Sheena inclined to each one and gave a quick kiss. They looked back to Colette, who shook her head, saying:

"No. A true kiss. Like that one you two gave in that night over that platform.", the two lovers shivered at the mention of that night. They waited for Colette to think about that like a bad remembrance, but she was still smiling like it was just another common moment that she witness. Well, at least this proved she wasn't angry at them.

"You're a really strange person Colette, you know that?", Sheena said, chuckling lightly. Colette giggled at that. "But if you asked so."

Lloyd was to much occupied chuckling at the comment too to actually pay attention to Sheena's next one. He was taken by surprise when the female ninja almost throw herself at him, in a passionate kiss.

By the corner of her eye, Sheena quickly looked to Colette, the girl was just giggling at them. Strange as it seemed, the female actually felt good for to see that her friend didn't have anything anymore against them for being together. That seemed to take a weight off from the summoner. Sheena then backed her attention to her love, who could just return the kiss at the moment.

"Ok, now I know you two are alright.", Colette said, but the two continued to kiss. "Uh... guys?", they still ignoring her. "Lloyd, Sheena? Are you there?", more kissing. Now Colette was the one getting embarrassed.

When the blond angel considered leave the two alone, they finally broke the kiss. Lloyd seemed totally dizzy, he was almost drooling while hearts seemed to float above his head. Sheena giggled at that and turned to Colette, arms crossed.

"Did you think I didn't get your little prank?", Sheena said. Colette showed an innocent look, like she didn't know what she was talking about.

Before the summoner could interrogate the former Chosen, Zelos jumped above the sofa and landed right at the side of Lloyd.

"Hey! I saw you and Lloyd kissing each other.", the red headed Chosen said, getting himself "comfortable" at the furniture. "Go on. Don't refrain yourselves just because of my presence."

Zelos was with his typical idiot smile. Noticing that, Lloyd broke from his trance and called:

"Zelos! We just do that because Colette asked so."

Sheena slapped her forehead. He should have said the whole story. Guessing what would come, she prepared herself for another of Zelos' indecent jokes.

"Oh, is that so?", the pervert angel turned to Colette. "Then say Colette, did you want to learn how to kiss? I can teach you if you want.", Colette blushed at that, Sheena almost fell from the sofa and Lloyd seemed to be fuming.

_This uncorrectable idiot! This is the same lame flirt he often gave to me when we first meet each other!_, Sheena closed her fist and looked to Lloyd. The red clad swordsman nodded.

Sheena stood and went to Zelos' left, who got confused at that and realized too late what he would get for his bad flirt. Sheena and Lloyd hit Zelos in the back of head at the same time and with such strength that he went to the ground.

"Speak another joke like that and the next will be worst!", Lloyd said. Zelos rubbed his hurt head.

"Ouch! You need to stop staying around Sheena so much Lloyd! You're starting to get her violent temper.", Zelos whimpered. Wrong choice of words. Sheena and Lloyd punched him again in the head.

"I'm not violent!", Lloyd and Sheena exclaimed at the same time.

Colette looked surprised. Was that being in love? To get the other's personality?

Before the blond angel could think more about it a flash of brownish light manifested above her and from it appeared a big hamster-like spirit.

"ALERTTTT!!!", the creature shout while fell against Lloyd and the others on the sofa, smashing the furniture. Gnome stood quickly."Grand Summoner! We need your help! It's an emergen... summoner?", the BIG spirit looked around, searching for Sheena. He heard a mumble from under him and a voice.

"Gnome... I can't help you... if you're smashing me...", Sheena mumbled. Gnome then moved from her, Lloyd and Zelos. The two were unconscious.

"Oh, sorry. Well, like I was saying...", before Gnome could end more three entities appeared in purple, black and white flashes.

Shadow, Volt and Celsius seemed to be ready to talk with Sheena when they noticed Gnome's presence, as well as each other's. The Summon Spirits looked to each other. Until that Gnome broke the silence:

"Uh, did you come her for the reason I think you came here for?"

Sheena and Colette almost didn't understand what the heavy Summon Spirit said. Sometimes Gnome could be a real pain to understand. Raine and the others came from Yuan's office, saying they heard a rumbling sound, to find the four Tethe'allan Summon Spirits reunited.

The situation could only be described as strange. Lloyd and Zelos seemed to recover from Gnome's sudden appearance and looked as confused as the others.

Volt spoke to the other Summon Spirits in his ancient language. The Spirits nodded and Celsius spoke:

"We're here because of something grave that happened in our temples almost right after the arise of the Dark Lord's Fortress. Shadows attacked our temples and chased us out.", everybody instinctively looked to the Summon Spirit of Darkness with an interrogative look.

"Not... me... elemental... shadows...", Shadow replied in his morbid, slow voice.

"I think you should explain to us what's this all about.", Yuan said.

The rest of the group nodded, they weren't understanding what was happening. The Summon Spirits asked for them to sit. Everybody did as they were told, Celsius also did while Volt still floating under the Summon Spirit of the Ice. Gnome tried to sit at the chair, which Colette stood when Gnome landed on her friends, but broke it.

"Oops. You should reinforce these things. Ya' know, like buy some steel ones.", the guardian of the heart commented.

Celsius slapped her forehead and Volt rolled his red eyes. Shadow hissed:

"Dumb..."

Gnome blushed, embarrassed. Celsius sighed and started to explain:

"When the elves arrived here and the Tree was planted, much beings achieved to evolve due the exposition to the mana. But with it, some 'wastes' in this world also evolved, at the point that they developed a conscience and own will. These 'wastes' were chaotic energies, leftovers of the Creation.

"The beings that formed from these energies didn't have a definite form and they passed to live under the rules of the elemental mana that gives life to them. We call them the elemental shadows.

"...", Volt pronounced, following by Raine's translation.

"'These shadows are different of the other beings that exist in the world. Though they are made mainly of changed mana, their energies can be dissipated by the rays of the sun, producing an effect that resembles much creatures of darkness being burnt by light.'"

"Do you mean that they're like vampires?", Lloyd asked.

The four Summon Spirits nodded. Though it was a rather rude definition for what the elemental shadows were that was the most understandable that mortals could have about them.

"How do we never heard about them before?", Raine asked.

"Because, like we said, none elemental shadow is able to live in the surface. They live under the earth, deeper than even the dwarves. The shadows are divided in eight tribes, each for one element. They need mana as much as any being in this world or even more, because of it they live beneath of our temples.", Celsius continued.

"Yeah, and we were left to take care for the guys to never mix up with the surface. I mean, hellooo! The magic that guys have is different of even ours and could make a big mess up, like that 'existence nullified by the instability of the elements' crap . Anyway, we lived in peace by a great deal of time, but with some encounters.", Gnome said.

"Yes. Some shadows liked to adventure near the surface and few made contact with light dwellers, how they like to call the people of the surface. From that, they learn that the magic in the surface was rather weak comparable to theirs. So they thought it would be funny if they took the surface world.", Celsius said, some of annoyed. "We have to fought against some shadows. Thankfully, the leaders of the tribes understood the importance of maintain the different energies away from each other, so they helped us to take down some of the rebels."

The explanation was almost giving to Lloyd, Sheena and Colette a headache. "Existence nullified", "mana changed by Chaos", that sounded like some of that Theory of Universe's Creation stuff. The type of things that if you kept thinking too much, your head would greatly mess up.

Even Raine and Yuan were having some difficult to understand. Raine was curious about what would these elemental shadows look like while Yuan was trying to associate it with his long-life knowledge. The Seraphim had heard some legends and words about beings that looked like pure elemental mana appearing around the temples, but he thought that should just be the manifestation of the Summon Spirits' power.

"Good... not try... understand...", Shadow spoke.

"Yeah. Believe guys, it's better you don't try to understand. This is the type of thing that is not for people to understand. Well, I also don't understand all this complicated thing anyway. It's like that stuffs of Relative Physics or something.", Gnome commented.

"Gnome, you don't understand half of the theory of the element's equilibrium and that is our work. Honestly, I still don't understand why Origin named you to be the Spirit of the Earth.", Celsius sharply replied.

Gnome seemed pissed off by that comment. The Summon Spirit of the earth really didn't understand very well all the theoretical part of his work, but that didn't mean he had done his job bad. In fact he achieved to maintain the stabilization of the gravity and the cycle of life of the soil pretty well.

"Well, if you know so much, miss cold-head, why don't you try to do my job. Maybe then I can even take some vocations.", a vein mark appeared in Celsius' head. She hated when Gnome called her "miss cold-head". It was the nickname that he used when he wanted to annoy her.

"Useless... discussion... importance... at hand...", Shadow hissed with a tone stronger than his usual. The two stopped before get further into the bickering.

"..."

"Well, I must say I never imagined you Summon Spirits would act in a so childish way.", Raine answered to Volt's saying, drawing an "Hey!" from both Celsius and Gnome. "I suppose this only proves that you're really not so different from us, mortal beings."

Colette, Sheena and Presea giggled. Lloyd and Zelos held a laugh while the others just smiled at Raine's remark. The all-powerful, omniscient Summon Spirits seemed to be acting much like a family. A really strange family.

"Say, did some of these elemental shadows allied with Nebilim in his takeover for power?", Yuan asked.

"Yeah, tons of them. How did ya' get that?", Gnome asked.

"Lucky guess.", Yuan replied, sarcastically.

The others rolled their eyes. It seemed that everything that was happening now someway was connected to Nebilim and his war at the Forgotten Ages. Well, they shouldn't be so surprised by these type of things by now.

The other guardian entities rolled their eyes at Gnome's oblivious question. Volt spoke again, having Raine traducing his words:

"'Even though the shadows that fought with Nebilim were all sealed inside the City of Darkness, the idea of Nebilim to create an army that would spread the darkness through the lands still be sustained by some elemental shadows. Now the shadows rebelled and took over our temples'?", Raine was confused at the last part.

How could a bunch of creatures that used the same elemental magic that the Summon Spirits could actually chase them out of their own temples? They said that the magic of these shadows was some of different from their magic, but still they used their elements. They should have some resistance against it.

Sheena was one of the most worried. She knew that if the Spirits couldn't come back to their temples they couldn't maintain the stability of the mana flows from there and that could ultimately cause a large disturbance at the elements and its mana. That was one of her first lessons about the summoning arts: know about the Summon Spirit's role in that world and how they were connected to their temples.

The female ninja still remembered the knowledge about the temples of the Summon Spirits, which was said to have been passed down by the elves. It seemed that the ancient elves constructed the temples for the Summon Spirits in the local where the guardian entities most appeared. It was learn latter that those locations were where the main mana flows of the world passed and in that locations the pure mana was changed into elemental mana, which was used to maintain the balance of the elements and the life in that world. Only Origin didn't have a defined place or temple, due the force that he represented was naturally different from the primary elements and was present in anything.

"I think only the grand summoner can understand all the gravity of this situation. If we don't come back to our temples, the elements may turn unstable and the life in this world shall be threatened.", Celsius said.

"How did that shadow guys chased you from your temples?", Lloyd asked.

"Crystals... barrier... Nebilim's... Fortress...", Shadow hissed. The group tilted their heads.

Volt seemed to try to explain what Shadow meant, but this only got better part of the group to get confused. Only Raine and Yuan could actually understand the Summon Spirit of lightning. Yuan this time translated:

"They used the crystals that hold the seal around Nebilim's Fortress. But the crystals seemed to have been modified. When they tried to fight back the group of renegade shadows, that things used the crystals against them and the stones sucked all the elemental mana around. The shadows weren't affected, but the Summon Spirits could get almost totally drained and if that happened they would be reduced to mere ghosts, echoes of their true forms and that would make the things worst than they're now."

The group got startled at that. Then these elemental shadows not just achieved to use a thing that could almost have defeated the Summon Spirits, but they also made that using the crystal that were supposed to be holding that strange energy dome protecting the City of Darkness.

Before the group could think in more doubts, Celsius explained:

"When Nebilim was defeated, the tribes of the elemental shadows were completely disorganized. They had great loses at the war, both because some of them allied to him and others spoke against him. Vallor achieved to help the leaders of the tribes to bring some peace and like a token of the trust that he had for the leaders, he left to four of the eight tribes the four crystals in which he stored the main enchantment that held the barrier over Nebilim's Fortress.

"Well, the big guy believed that just because the first elemental shadows that he actually got to know were at Nebilim's army that doesn't mean that all the elemental shadows were at Nebilim's side. Good think of him to thought that, it was because of it that we asked to him to go and help the shadows in the name of all the beings of the surface and in our name.", Celsius ended.

"Wow. Vallor seems to be much like Mithos. I mean, when he was fighting for the best to everybody.", Colette commented, with her hands clasped in a prayer-like way. An old habit that she had.

The others of the group nodded, Vallor should have been a special person. They thought it should be natural, since Vallor was the one to defeat Nebilim and the one to get Luna's heart. They were certain that the Summon Spirit of Light wouldn't fall in love and have a family with someone that wasn't at least pure in heart.

The Summon Spirits at first saw that relationship like it was strange. Never before any of them fell in love for a mortal. They knew that could only end by hurting each side. So they tried to even couple with their own, but discovered that their relationship was much more of a family then one of companions to properly say.

Celsius remembered of her attempt to stay with Efreet. That was the farther that any Summon Spirit achieved in a relationship with their own. In the end, that almost destroyed both, due the strong incompatibility of their elements.

"But what about the leaders of the shadow tribes?", Regal asked, driving the heroes back at the present situation. "You said they helped you to maintain the order."

"Hu. I doubt that guys could have stopped that force even if they tried.", Gnome spoke. "The shadows that attack us were in a great party. I could bet my pants that half of the tribe was there. We defeated a bunch before one of the strongest came with that freaky crystals and start to suck our energy. We teleported from there to here right when we lost."

"Well, that explains your sudden 'arrival'.", Zelos said, rubbing his back.

Gnome scratched his head in an apologetic way. If it wasn't for Lloyd and Zelos to have expheres, they surely wouldn't have survived against Gnome's giant weight. Raine then asked about another detail:

"These crystals, do you think Nebilim or Kermish modified them?", the spirits answered with a nod. Only the Dark Lord and his dead puppet were powerful enough to change the crystals into weapons. "But why didn't Kermish just destroyed them instead of use them as weapons if they're binding the fortress?"

"Simple, if that depraved fool tried, the elemental shadows would have annihilated him or, _if_, he achieved to escape, he would be chased by all the tribes. The crystals are considered relics for them. It is also the prove that they can live in peace in this world and that there is good people.", Celsius explained in a matter-of-fact tone. "Thought, that didn't mean he couldn't have reached the tribes, spread some words about Nebilim's return and secretly modify the crystals."

"This means that now we have a new objective. We have to go and defeat these rebel shadows, restore the temples and protect these crystals.", Raine analyzed.

The Summon Spirits seemed to finally relax, knowing that they would help. This whole ordeal would not be a minor detour from their main quest to defeat Nebilim, yet they were gladly ready to help them with a problem that was their responsibility.

"Thanks... can't... ever... repay...", Shadow hissed, sounding hopeful.

"..."

"Hey, it's nothing. After all, we're all friends, aren't we? And besides, I don't think we could let this situation goes like this.", Lloyd said, with his typical smile in the face. He couldn't understand what Volt had said, but he could assume it should be the same as Shadow.

The elemental entities nodded, some of surprise to hear that Lloyd and the others actually considered them like friends. Sheena spoke:

"Yeah. After all the help you gave us in our troubles we couldn't ignore something like it. As a summoner, it's my responsibility to help you and to maintain the stability of the elements and the mana.", the summoner pronounced, now drawing a smile from the spirits.

Sheena heard that many new summoners failed in their pacts because they forgot that to maintain their pacts it was necessary not just maintain their vow, but also to respect the Summon Spirit and help when something threatened to destabilize the mana. It was one of the basics, yet people had the tendency to forget it.

"For you my frozen beauty, we will recover your temples and expulse that terrible defilers.", Zelos said.

Even knowing that his words were sincere, Celsius needed to resist against the urge to throw a frost bolt at the perverted Chosen.


	28. Time to Reflect

Man, this chapter was difficult to write, also added the fact I'm in eve of the final tests. So I may not update by some time, things are really difficult here.

I don't have much to say about the chapter, so enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter 28**

**Time to Reflect**

Genis and Presea were walking around Triet, looking at the stands and buying some supplies to the Renegades. It was Genis who asked if she wanted to go with him to the city, in a rather embarrassed way and stuttering much.

Since they arrived, Genis showed the city around, which didn't really change too much by the past year. Nonetheless, Presea never got too much time to visit the other cities. Her job consuming good part of her time.

The young ax wielder was quite enjoying this time with Genis. He was some of funny with that way he tried to talk with her or didn't pay attention to where he was going, which ended in the boy putting down a whole stand by tripping in it. He also was nice to talk with, being one of the most intelligent people she knew.

The half-elf boy also told to her about his deeds in Sybak (she finally could stand hear the name of that city without felt a sudden wave of sickness and disgust). She was happy that he achieved to stand the comments that the students made about him and at the same time turn out to be one of the best students of the academy. She knew he deserved that like anyone else after all the trouble he went to help them to reunite the worlds.

Presea was really happy by him. Maybe he would have success in his personal journey to help the half-elves after prove that even an half-elf could go to an university like the Royal Academy, but she secretly thought if he would allow her to come with him. She didn't quite know why, but she wanted to be with him, she wanted to see him to have success in his life and, when he would be down, she wanted to be there, to cheer him up and help him to pass by it.

Why she wanted to stay with him, she didn't know. Maybe it was because he was the one who helped her to encounter her heart after that problem with the Devil's Arms. Maybe because, somehow, she now felt comfortable around him, knowing that when she needed he would be there to save her and to help her like he already did.

Genis, after paying for another stand that he destroyed, was also in a quite dilemma. How could he tell her how he felt? Damn, even Lloyd confessed himself to Sheena and Lloyd was the worst person in realizing somethings about girls that Genis ever knew.

Should he do something like what Lloyd did? The idea of presenting her to her reflex in a talk about who he liked seemed a really stupid one. But if it worked for Lloyd, why wouldn't for him.

Again, the young warlock was confused. Maybe he should just get to the point and say it. Even if the words came out all together at the same time, he could correct it latter. He just needed to say it.

He still had hope it would work. He saved Presea from Nebilim and stayed at her side all the time and he didn't know of anybody that she liked that way, so he may had a chance.

He called her attention when the two sat in a bench near the oasis, after walk around the city under the hot desert's sun. She looked to him with a slight smile in the face. She seemed have relearned how to show a sincere smile again and Genis thought that she was so cute and pretty with that smile.

"Presea...", he started, looking into her pale blue eyes, strange like eyes that he used to see none signal of life now could show so much emotion and will to live. "I... I want to tell...", he half-stuttered. Good, he was half-way now. "To tell that I..."

When he was about to say the first letter a sound of bip came from his pocket. The young warlock immediately stopped, his month agape.

"Hum... Genis won't answer? It may be important.", Presea asked, some of confused by the face he made.

Silently cursing, Genis took out the device that looked like a box. Yuan called that "communicator" and he gave to him to maintain contact wherever they were. The half-elf boy pressed a button and talked to the holes in the lower part of the device:

"What is it?"

"We already have a curse of action.", Yuan's voice said. Genis considered if he should throw the little machine inside the oasis. "Get the supplies and whatever you bought to our agent at the Inn and encounter us in the Temple of Earth."

"Okay, I'm off.", with that Genis turned off the device.

Presea, who heard the conversation, due Genis' proximity to her, stood and started to get their purchases to the Inn. Cursing Yuan with promises of a gruesome death at the hands of fierce, flesh-eating Evil Teddies, Genis followed the girl.

- - - - -

Merilius reappeared by nightfall, near Triet Base. It took to him sometime to heal from his wounds and to recover his strengths enough to use his family's teleport technique to cover great distances, until reach one of the Renegades' bases.

He even spent sometime to get used with the atmosphere around the Great Tree in these two days that he spend recovering from his wounds and some more time to get reused with the general situation of the rest of the world. He almost thought that being around the world's life source was like he was in another world, where nothing evil could enter to menace him. Where he didn't have to worry about Nebilim, Ara Tharu and Kermish.

Well, not time to stay thinking in that. He had a new mission to accomplish and people to find and help. Walking to the base, Merilius saw the closed gates and searched for the intercom. Pressing a button he heard the voice of one of the Renegades:

"State your business here."

"I'm here to see Lord Yuan.", the magic swordsman replied through the holes in the device.

"Lord Yuan isn't at the moment. He's out in a mission. Thought, we were looking for you."

Merilius looked to one of the hidden cameras at the side of the huge gate. He gave a slight smile and waved to it, then backed to think about what the soldier had just said.

Luna told him, right before he went to the Renegades' base, that four of the ancient elemental shadow's tribes revolted against the Summon Spirits and took over the temples in Tethe'alla. She also told to him that, according to the other elemental guardians, the shadows used the crystals that held together the seal spell upon Nebilim's Fortress.

Probably the Summon Spirits searched for Sheena's help, since she was the bearer of even Origin's pact. If she and Yuan went to help the guardian entities certainly the others went with her.

"Thanks anyway. Could you inform me to where he went?", Merilius asked to the intercom. If Yuan and the others already went to face that elemental shadows they certainly could use some help...

- - - - -

As nine Rheairds landed near the entrance to the Temple of Earth, Lloyd and his friends could notice that the scenery around already seemed to be sensing the effects of the absence of the temple's spirit.

The land around the temple seemed to be turning rugged and devoid of even the slightest blade of grass. Plants were dieing and the soil seemed strangely dead, more dead than even the one of a desert or a canyon. That elemental shadows certainly didn't know how or didn't care about maintain the health of the soil.

Gnome appeared near them and looked to what was becoming of the lands around his temple. The big Summon Spirit closed his fists and looked very angry. Sheena and the others never recalled to see the guardian of earth that angry.

"Those damn, spoiled shadows...! They think it's funny to transform the earth into a desert! Well, let's see if they found it funny when I kick their shadowy asses.", Gnome spun his shovel in the air.

"Don't worry. We will find a way to change that crystal back to what it was then you may enter and fix all the damage.", Lloyd reassured Gnome. The hamster-like entity nodded. Lloyd then realized something. "Uh, how are we going to fix the crystal anyway?"

Everybody fell at that, legs in the air. Sheena then got up first and yelled at him:

"How could you just say for we to go when you didn't even know what we could do to fix up the things, Lloyd?!"

"Sorry, but I thought that you might know. I mean, you're the summoner here, not me.", Lloyd tried to talk back with the angry female ninja without any success.

"I may be a summoner, but I don't know everything. Mainly about events that occurred ages before the Kharlan War and which didn't exist any record about, because a freak, elven Dark Lord found it would be funny to burnt it all!", Sheena's high voice was starting to make Lloyd's ears to pain.

The rest of the group decided to leave Sheena scold Lloyd, since it seemed she was making a work on this better than even Raine. Zelos couldn't help, but felt sorry for Lloyd. If it wasn't for the fact that she loved him, he could be dead right now by had dragged them to here, without a clue about what to do.

Gnome, who thought the discussion between the two lovers was getting now dangerous for Lloyd's health, gave to them the answer to the problem:

"You could ask to Luna about it. That seal spell on the o' creepiness Fortress of Doom was made with her power as well as Vallor's. And if I remember well, I found the crystals and Maxwell changed them to have magical proprieties."

The group nodded. It sounded like a good idea. Colette called Sheena before the ninja could still assaulting Lloyd's poor ears and told her Gnome's suggestion.

Sheena decided to try and immediately summoned Luna and Aska. The two embodiments of the light appeared in a flash of yellowish lights.

"What do you ask of us, great summoner?", Aska questioned landing in the dry land around the temple.

"Do you know a way to revert the spell that was put in the crystals and that makes it suck the energies around?", Sheena asked. The two spirits stayed silent, like thinking on the situation.

"The enchantments of the City of Darkness' barrier in the crystals didn't seem to be affected. Sorry, but don't know how to help thee.", Luna pronounced. "Maybe if thee ask to Maxwell, he was the one that shaped the crystals to be magic scepters."

The group sighed, this was getting some of their time, but they supposed it couldn't be help. Sheena thanked Luna. Before the entity of light could go, the ninja remembered something:

"Luna, wait. Did you see Merilius around? We got separated by quite sometime ago."

Luna seemed to smile while talking:

"Don't worry. Soon thee shall cross paths again.", Luna disappeared before Sheena could ask more.

The group stood there, wondering what Luna meant with that. The Summon Spirit of light surely knew something, but if she didn't tell to them what was happening at the beginning of all that trouble, it was highly unlike that she would told to them something now. Sometimes it seemed that spirits like to leave them to do the things in the complicate way

Deciding they had more important matters at the moment, Sheena summoned Maxwell. The wise spirit appeared in a flash of multicolored light and Sheena asked to him about the modifications in the crystals.

"Well, from what the others told to me, it seems they simply put an absorption enchantment in the crystals and tuned it with the type of mana they wanted to be absorbed. I happen to know a spell that can purify the crystal, but only a master in healing arts can learn it.", Maxwell spoke.

Immediately, after heard the words "healing" and "master", the group turned to Raine. The half-elf woman pronounced, sighing:

"Ok. I'll learn it, but remember that this can take sometime if it's as advanced as I think."

"Based on what I saw of your performance in past battles, someone like you could learn it in at least one day.", Maxwell estimated, smiling.

"Then that means we'll have to camp here.", Regal stated.

The group didn't find the idea of camp near a temple infested with creatures who defeated the Summon Spirits much attractive, but Gnome assured to them that he could built up a defensive barrier around the camp, so the elemental shadows wouldn't find about their presence.

"If you don't mind then, I think the best local for her to learn the purification spell would be in the flows of mana.", Maxwell said. The group looked to him, confused. Genis, Yuan and Raine seemed to understand what the age-looking guardian said.

"You mean, that local where we fought with you for the pact?", Presea asked, remembering the strange, transparent, rune-like platform that they fought with Maxwell. They thought that it even could even be some kind of another dimension.

"Yes and don't worry. I promise to bring her in one piece.", Maxwell said in his energetic tone. His mustache curved into an smile.

Raine actually started to feel worried after he talked that. But before the healer could protest, she and Maxwell disappeared.

The group then started to set up camp. Yuan and Regal were arming the tents, Presea and Colette went to get wood and the others decided to go and explore the area.

"Just remember: don't get near the temple. I can't cover up you guys near there.", Gnome warned, Lloyd, Sheena, Zelos and Genis nodded.

Going to the forest, they decided to search for something to eat, but discovered some fruits were already decomposing even in the tree's branches. The forest seemed to be dying, little by little. The vision was painful. They could understand why Gnome was so upset.

"It seems that shadows didn't like much of plants.", Zelos commented, a somewhat sad tone in his voice.

"Maybe they really do hate the surface world.", Genis suggested.

"I just wonder if the world was like this in the Forgotten Ages.", Sheena thought aloud. "I'm trying to understand why Nebilim did and still doing all of this, but every time I saw the consequences I can't help, but think that he is really evil."

Nobody talked at that. Sheena went to a nearby stone and sat. A deadly silence filled the air, none noise, even the one of birds or nocturne predators that could be exiting to chase at the twilight could be heard. It seemed that with the death of the forest all the animals left the area.

"Maybe he is.", Lloyd said, braking the silence and going to sit at Sheena's side. "The Summon Spirits said he do all of this completely aware of the consequences and he even did things that were forbidden by the elves. I just wanted to understand why he hates humans so much."

"I think I know the answer for that.", Zelos said, leaning against a nearby tree. "I happen to know something about elven culture and by what I see it didn't change that much since these Forgotten Ages. The elves like to think about themselves as the 'oh we're so awesome', logically superior beings. They always thought that we humans cause disasters because we're impatience, inconsiderate and cruel with our own kind. Nebilim just took this thought to the letter."

"Yeah. That and their stupid elven proud. Do you remember what the elf elder said when we were saving his people?", Genis stated, his friends nodded. "They talk about humans and half-elves, but the truth is that they're as stubborn and proud as any human, even more. Maybe it's because of this they didn't have any story or record about the time when Nebilim took the power."

Lloyd and Sheena had to agree with that. By all they saw in their first visits to Heimdall it was obvious the elves didn't think much of the other races. They still remembered the glances the elves shot to them when they were passing by the town. Many looked to them like they were something despicable that shouldn't even be allow to enter in the city, others just looked with indifference.

Thinking by that point of view it was obvious that elves would make everything to try and make people forgot that Nebilim ever existed. Nebilim was a life proof that elves weren't better any than the other races and could be as cruel as anyone else .

"Thinking this way, Nebilim was a big stain to their image of 'perfect race'. It wouldn't surprise me if the elves burned archives about the Forgotten Ages after Vallor's death.", Sheena said. The thinking sounded a rather grim, but she knew what people could do to maintain their images, she heard about that from the Pope's deeds.

The night fell in the forest. All was deadly silent. The group then decided to go back to the camp since staying at the edge of Gnome's barrier was almost an invitation for them to be found.

At the camp they saw Yuan sat in a log and Regal cooking some dinner with Gnome observing him. From times to times, Gnome asked Regal what was a determinate utensil or ingredient. They could see the constant questioning was starting to annoy Regal.

"They probably don't eat much often.", Genis commented.

When Regal accidentally put a wrong ingredient, he started to mumble and mix frenetic their dinner. Sensing the danger, Sheena called Gnome, saying she wanted to talk something with him. Gnome went to her, to Regal's relief. Colette and Presea backed, by the hour the dinner was ready.

Serving good portions to everybody (Yuan decided to eat this time), Regal turned to Gnome, but the Summon Spirit declined, saying that in fact he didn't need to eat.

_Good thing. He would probably devour all of our dinner and could still be hungry._, Lloyd thought, noticing Gnome's size.

The group chattered while eating. Yuan didn't say anything the whole time, he just ate his load silently. Noticing that, Lloyd decided to throw a talk with the recluse half-elf:

"Hey Yuan!", the said Seraphim looked to him, with an inquisitive look. "Say, why did you tried to help Colette so much?"

Yuan gasped with the food on his mouth. The group found that strange as the Renegade's leader recovered and talked back:

"Why? Is that so strange I try to help some of you?"

"No, it's just, you talked like you really do care about her. It's not like you be like this.", Lloyd said.

Everybody now turned to Yuan. Lloyd was right, that wasn't the type of behavior Yuan often showed. Even Colette was some of curious about that. Yuan really did try to cheer her up while the whole confusion with her feelings and even so she didn't understand why.

The former Seraph started to sweat at having everybody looking to him with curiosity.

"It's... it's none of your business!", he said, crossing his arms and looking to the side. Wrong move.

Even don't knowing all about Yuan, the group could tell when they caught him in a subject that could put to ruin the stoic, impassible image that Yuan showed off. Now they got him in one of that subjects and they had to admit: it was amusing to see the sarcastic half-elf got embarrassed.

They continued to glare at him. Yuan was now getting nervous. Couldn't that people let the matter be? The situation was greatly getting on his nerves when he finally gave up:

"Ok! If you want so much I'll say! It's because... I just can't stand people suffering because of things they can't change! I always thought it wouldn't do any good if you stay thinking about what happened and what could be! And... I tried to tell this to Mithos. He never stopped to think about Martel's death and I watched him getting insane with the passage of the years.

"I... I didn't want the same to happen to Colette. If she had killed you, Nebilim would surely maintain her darkness controlling her and someone like her can't live with the memory of have caused the death of her own friends without getting crazy after some time. I just didn't want to see everything happening all over again and ending in tragedy just like before", the blue headed half-elf sighed.

The group stayed quiet after hear Yuan. They didn't want to even think what would have happened if Colette killed Lloyd and Sheena. For Yuan to worry that Colette would turn into another Yggdrasil, the experience with the fallen hero should have been really painful to him.

Colette could feel a slight sad tone in Yuan's voice. Maybe, like Kratos, Yuan thought it was his duty to stop Yggdrasil from turning into the mad tyrant he turned, after all he was Mithos' brother-in-law. She never thought that he might still bearing some resent from that times.

Sighing again, Yuan stood. He didn't like to talk about his past. Talk about it was like to poke old wounds that never really healed. That were his problems, not Lloyd's or Sheena's or anybody else. Just his, and he would live with them even if they never did heal.

"How you liked to say: what's in the past is in the past.", Yuan said, looking to Lloyd. "You should get some sleep now."

Saying that, Yuan walked away from them, into the forest, obviously wanting to be alone. Lloyd yawned, just like Genis and Colette.

"Ok you all. I think it's better we follow Yuan's advice and went to sleep.", Sheena said. When Lloyd and Genis opened their mouths to reply, she added. "You will sleep yes! For we have energy tomorrow to fight with that creeps! And if you dare to disobey me, I'll drag you by your ear as your sister does...", the female ninja threatened Genis and turned to Lloyd. "And don't think I don't know how to shut your mouth up."

"Yeah, by kissing him up! But considering that you simply can't let him go, do you think it'll be good for the other children here to watch you doing that?", Zelos said, in what seemed to be a double-meaning joke. Sheena was ready to slap him, but instead she thought in another way of counter that.

"Don't worry Zelos. I won't do anything to traumatize you. I know how sensible you can be sometimes."

Everybody (Gnome and Presea included) laughed at Zelos, who got his face red beet and looked somewhat displeased. The red headed Chosen tried to think in something to throw back, but before he could everybody went to their tents, ignoring Zelos' mumbling while he went to his.

_And people say that I'm a nut case..._, Gnome thought. That group of friends sometimes seemed stranger than even the Summon Spirits when they were all reunited. But gain, people were always... strange. In a way or another.


	29. Fighting the Quakes

Ah, finally my inspiration seems to have returned.

Like so, here's a chapter full of action for you! (Starts to play the game's battle music "Keen Edged Blade")

* * *

**Chapter 29**

**Fighting the Quakes**

The temple was silent as Lloyd and his friends entered. Not even the usual monsters were around, meaning that they either ran away or were whipped out when the elemental shadows took over.

Before they entered, Raine had reappeared with Maxwell and seemed not too much pleased, thought she indeed was in one piece. Her hair was a mess and her state was of one who had climbed Leathon Gorge without the help of the Sorcerer Ring. She said it was what happened when you trained non-stop by a whole day.

At least, she had learned the purification spell and said for them to end that quickly so she could relax and maybe took a good bath. Zelos was about to make funny of her visual, but the death glare she shot to him made he realize that he liked to live.

As they passed by the narrow paths they looked to the pit bellow, wondering if the shadows would come from there in the case of an attack. Gnome was left in the entrance, he wouldn't help if he got all his mana sucked by the modified crystal, so Sheena said that when they fixed up the crystal she would call him.

"Ok. Just do me a favor and leave the big headed shadow for me. I also want to kick some butts!", the guardian of the earth said, with a ferocious look on the face.

Lloyd thought if they really purified the crystal and summoned Gnome, that shadows wouldn't stand a chance. But they needed to be quick. They didn't know how much renegade shadows there were so they could even face an entire army if they were caught out of guard.

A rumbling interrupted Lloyd's thoughts as they reached another section of the temple. The group stopped and drew their weapons as another rumbling shook the walls and the floor. Then, at the corner, a great dragon appeared.

Lloyd thought it would be an easy battle, since they defeated tons of that dragon in the past. The heroes went to the battle, but when they were near their enemy, the dragon stomped the ground and several cracks appeared around the group, launching rocks at them.

"What the...?", Genis exclaimed after they recovered from the attack.

The dragon opened his mouth and a great wave of darkness was shot on them. The group avoided it and Genis and Raine started to charge a spell.

"The dragon is possessed!", the healer said, casting Photon on the great creature.

Yuan and Zelos flew to the gargantuan reptile, dodging the darkness breaths. They slashed the creatures' arms, but it didn't seem to feel pain. The possessed monster stomped the ground again and two stalagmite came from the ground, hitting Colette and Genis.

Lloyd and Sheena hit the creature with Sonic Sword Rain and Pyre Seal while Presea blew him away with Beast. Colette casted Judgment when the monster stood, followed by Genis' Freeze Lancer.

Even heavily damaged the monster continued to fight with just it's claws, tail and the stomps that caused more magic attacks. Yuan, after analyze the situation, came up with what that could be. The dragon was just to tire them out.

Charging lightning magic in his weapon, Yuan flew to the dragon and started to attack at incredible speed.

"Thunder Slices!", Shallow was a blur while Yuan slashed multiple times at the dragon's chest.

When the dragon's wound got deep Yuan trusted his saber in the wound and released all the power in his saber, electrocuting the dragon. The creature roared and strange figures appeared around it. Dark-brown figures with bodies that seemed to be made out of some brownish matter. They didn't have a shape, just yellow eyes, which was the only thing that actually stated they were some live form.

The creatures seemed to be in pain while cracks of lightning ran through their strange bodies. Yuan intensified the current and the shadows dissipated. The dragon fell to the ground, dead.

"We have to reach the seal before more of them come!", Yuan urged them.

The group started to run, not paying attention to the strange mumblings coming form behind. They shortly arrive at the front of the altar and there, involved by strange curved pillars of stone, was a great, white crystal. The big jewel shone with the slight ray of light that entered in the room.

They tried to reach the jewel, but in that moment a strong quake shook the entire room, making the group to lose the equilibrium and fall. At the front of the crystal, the floor seemed to gain life when a great elevation began to form.

The pile of earth soon opened yellow orbs and some type of mouth was formed below these eyes. A mane-like formation rounded the area that seemed to be the face. The shadow was twice Regal's size, but it gave the impression that it could control its size height and size.

The creature looked to the group that soon drew their weapons, ready to attack the thing. A smirk formed in the shadow's fang-like lips.

"So, you're the ones that barged in my temple.", the shadow spoke, in a strong, righteous voice. It made the group think that if a rock could talk, it's voice would be like that. "Lord Nebilim's emissary warned us that you could come and he will reward me greatly when I get rid of you."

"Let me guess, you're the head of this rebellion didn't you?", Sheena asked.

"I am Thorv'Ahs. I used to be my tribe's ambassador to deal with that fat ass of a Summon Spirit, but I got tired of get orders from that over sized hamster. It's time for we to get what is rightfully ours."

The group rolled their eyes at the speech. Why did all the evil creatures of darkness always spoke the same lame line? Anyway, they would get past that shadow and purify the crystal.

"We made a promise to a friend of ours. We won't sent you right to oblivion, but we'll still kick your stone ass.", Genis said, preparing to cast a water spell.

"I would like to see you try it, little one.", Thorv'Ahs smirked again and went to the attack.

From the sides of the shadow long formations came and soon transformed into arms and knuckles. Smashing the ground, the elemental shadow created some cracks that extended to Lloyd and the others and opened, forming a great fissure.

The angels of the group flew away and the others jumped to the sides. Genis casted Tidal Wave and a flood covered the battlefield, going to the shadow. Thorv'Ahs "dove" in the floor, escaping the magic and reappearing near Genis, punching the young warlock and sending him to one of the nearby fallen pillars.

Presea and Regal attacked the shadow, cutting its stone body, but the gashes soon recovered itself while the shadow punched the two of them. Yuan, Zelos and Lloyd attacked, with a variation of techniques and magical attacks. The magic blows seemed to make effect, but the physical hits did none noticeable damage.

The shadow sent a shock wave to the ground, making the entire room to tremble again and the ground members of the group to fall. "Diving" in the ground again and reappearing near the altar, Thorv started to charge a spell.

"Earth shall devour you. Grave Prison!", The spell created multiple earth domes that closed around the members of the group who were standing on the ground. Pointed stalagmites shot from inside the domes, breaking it's roof and making it to fall.

Lloyd saw with horror his friends bind between the stalagmites, with big cuts where their bodies were pressed against the hard stone. Colette flew to attack the shadow with all her strength. The elemental shadow charged another spell and quickly released:

"Stone Pillars!", two thick stone pillars shot from the ground and smashed each other with Colette in the middle.

When the pillars started to go back to the earth, Colette fell to the ground. Before Lloyd could move to help her, Thorv appeared in his front and opened his mouth, shooting great, heavy stones on him. The stones hit even Lloyd's wings hard, making him to fall.

The shadow tried to crush him with it's hand, but Yuan came and started to slash at him with his saber. Quickly charging a spell, Yuan casted Spark Wave, but Thorv'Ahs just stayed in his position and left the spell to hit him. When the electrical ball disappeared, the elemental shadow seemed untouched.

"Foolish one. I'm one of the embodiments of the earth in its ancient times, your lightning cannot harm me.", casting another magic, Thorv made rocks came out of the ground and exploded on Yuan's face. Like with Lloyd, it also hit his wings and he fell.

The shadow then turned to Colette and prepared to finish her. When he noticed Genis preparing another spell, he again casted Grave Prison on the remaining members who still stand while the others still bind by the spell.

"Death for the light bearers!", Thorv'Ahs said, joining his hands and preparing to crush Colette, who was standing.

The others screamed Colette's name. When the elemental shadow's hands was near her, Colette held her hand upward and stopped the shadow's massive limbs to crush her. Thorv'Ahs looked surprised and tried to crush her again, but the girl was holding him back.

Colette stood and smiled one of her warm smiles that, in occasions like this, always confused her adversaries. She said in rather happy voice:

"Say, why did you always think I'm the easier to take out?"

The giant chaos creature murmured an "uh" and didn't notice Colette's mana starting to concentrate. The blond angel released a strong charge of light from her hands to Thorv'Ahs' arms, making the shadow to roar in pain when all his body started to feel the energies of light running through it.

Sparks began to circulate Thorv'Ahs and the stalagmites that held Colette's friends went back to the earth, releasing them. Colette then push the shadow's hands off with such strength that the massive creature went back and seemed to almost lose it's equilibrium, though he was stuck in the ground.

The blond angel went to attack and started to hit Thorv'Ahs with her bare hands, but making pebbles flew from the shadow's body. The group then saw, Colette's hands and feet were glowing with white, pure energy. The Chosen was hitting the shadow with a strength enough to knock out even a dragon.

"You...", a kick in Thorv'Ahs' face made him to twist to the side. "don't dare...", another kick, now where it should be the shadow's chest. "to threat my friends...", three punches, one in the face and two other in the main body. "ever again!"

Colette ended her assault by releasing three spinning chackrans at the elemental shadow with light element. The Triple Ray Satellite hit it's target dead on, launching pebbles to everywhere while cut through the shadow's form.

Raine could feel the strange energy of the shadow weakening. Now was the time for she to purify the crystal, before the shadow could recuperate. The half-elven woman ran to the crystal. Seeing this the others went to attack while Sheena enchanted their weapons with her Light Seal.

Thorv'Ahs was hit by a multitude of attacks and magic. Colette's Angel Feathers and Sheena's seal cards seemed to be affecting the energy that held the matter in the elemental shadow's body together. Regal and Presea's strong attacks were pushing him back while Lloyd and Zelos distributed their techniques by the great creature's sides.

When Raine arrived near the crystal, other elemental shadows appeared. Their strange bodies seemed to be nearer to an humanoid form than Thorv's, but they still looking like a big pile of human-shaped dirt. The only thing that actually differed them to be confused with a statue was their yellow, cruel eyes.

One of the shadows transformed it's arm in what could be considered an earth blade and tried to attack Raine. The healer used Photon on the shadow, making it to crumble while it's energies flowed out of it's body. The creature's body fell in pieces while its companions attacked.

Raine didn't have hope to defeat them all, but she was ready to risk the confront. Before she could charge another spell a pink and red blur came, slashing at the nearby shadows, but the seal in its blade already worn out.

"Damn, why can't this thing last more?", Zelos complained. "Hey Lloyd! Can you give me a help here?", Zelos shouted.

The shadows seemed a rather confused by the sudden appearance of the new warrior, but they advanced, intending on take Zelos also. Then another adversary came and against this one they didn't stand a chance.

"Sure thing.", Lloyd analyzed the group of enemies at his front. It was a big group, maybe he would need a powerful strike. "Great! I was eager for an opportunity to use it again.", the red clad swordsman said, starting to built up power around him.

The crowd of shadows went to attack while Lloyd joined his two Material Blades, which started to glow with a purple tonality. The elemental shadows that were near enough to attack him froze, like the time around the boy stopped.

The Eternal Sword then appeared in Lloyd's hand and he lifted it above his head, ready to release the energy.

"Falcon's Crest!", Lloyd slashed the air at his front, sending waves of energy that cut through all the elemental shadows at his front and beyond the altar.

The chaos creatures were hit by the energies released by the sword. Energies so strong that they were changing the very chaos energy that held the shadow's matter together. One by one, the shadows exploded, with chills of pain.

When the altar was clean, Zelos looked to Lloyd, surprised. Even thought the red headed Chosen had seen the Falcon's Crest technique before, he never ceased to be surprised by the attack's power and effects on the different types of creatures.

"Way to go bud!", Zelos said with a grin.

"Yeah... but don't ask me to do it again so soon. It always drain my mana.", Lloyd replied while the Eternal Sword divided in his hands and turned back into the Material Blades. "Professor.. if you don't mind.", Lloyd said, weakly. He was tired and almost kneeling.

Raine nodded and silently went to the crystal. She started to gather the necessary mana to cast the spell.

Back to the battle against the head of the rebellion, Thorv was blown away by what seemed the fifth time, his body "sliding" in the floor as he seemed furious at his adversaries. Though the shadow's body regenerated itself after some time, the constant light attacks were starting to corrupt the chaos energy that was the shadow's life source.

Colette and Sheena were the ones doing the most damage, due to Sheena seemed that could enchant her seal cards as easy as breath and Colette's new ability of charge her blows with mana of light, though, they weren't actually trying to destroy the shadow. They made a promise to leave some piece of action to Gnome.

Thorv'Ahs couldn't believe he was losing to a bunch of light bearers, humans, half-elves and... he stopped when he felt that energy. He hadn't pay attention to it before. Could that mana be what it seemed to be?

Before the shadow could think on that, a white light came from his back. Turning he saw Raine, already casting the spell:

"Forces of the world, protectors of the equilibrium... give me your aid to end with this evil that brings destruction! Peace Song!", green and yellowish lights appeared over all the altar, creating a beautiful light show and bathing the crystal.

Something started to came out from the crystal and was being turned into hundreds of shining dots. The spell on it was lifted.

"NO!!!", Thorv tried to went to the crystal, but it was to late for him to save his guarantee against the Summon Spirits.

The elemental shadow didn't notice that Sheena started to summon in the moment she saw Raine casting the spell. He just noticed she calling for Gnome's name when he heard:

"BOMBS AWAY!!!", a huge shadow covered Thorv'Ahs body and when he looked up, something crushed him, dividing him into thousands of pebbles.

Gnome stood, his shovel at hand and a grin in his face. The heavy Summon Spirit turned to Sheena and the others:

"Hey folks! Good to see you again!", Gnome's expression then changed when he saw a pile of pebbles gathering to form Thorv'Ahs' figure again. The elemental shadow mumbled something, probably in pain. Gnome then approached him, an angry look on his face, beating his shovel at his hand. "So... I'm fat lass, over sized hamster, uh?"


	30. Earth and Wind

Time to the show!

... okay, I don't have anything more to say.

* * *

**Chapter 30**

**Earth and Wind**

At hearing that voice, Thorv'Ahs jolted his head up, in utter shock and panic. Gnome had a death glare in his features and seemed ready to smash something, which in this case would be the shadow's head.

"Folks, leave this guy to me. I have to teach him some things about trying to take my temple and mess up with the mana flows.", Gnome said to Sheena and the others.

"Suit yourself.", Sheena simply replied, giving back to the scene in fashion that said "now it's your matter".

The Summon Spirit of the earth smiled while turned to the elemental shadow. Thorv'Ahs recovered from the shock and spoke:

"So, again you're at the side of the surface dwellers. I should have expect it."

"Don't try to play the innocent guy, pal! We never had anything against you, chaos guys. It's you who decided it would be fun to conquer the surface! I thought at least you will hear your leaders, they understood all the hard work we have to put everything in order so everybody live in harmony, including your people."

The shadow didn't reply. Obviously, Thorv didn't know half of the story about the Summon Spirits and the elemental shadow's tribes. Neither did he know about what the guardian entities had to do for adjust the elements, so even the elemental shadows could live in that world.

The elemental of the Earth hated that type of people. People who didn't know all they did for them and still asking for more, thinking they deserve more than others.

"What so? You can't win me and all my army Gnome!", Thorv sent another shock wave through the ground that seemed to make all the temple shook. Lloyd and his friends fell to the ground, but Gnome didn't even flinch.

Shadows appeared from all the corners, filling the whole platform around the altar. Lloyd and his friends stood at the altar, together, looking to all the chaotic beings that surrounded them. Gnome seemed impassible.

Sighing, the guardian of the earth thrust his shovel at the floor, causing cracks that started to expand to all the sides, creating an earthquake. Fissures opened, shallowing the elemental shadows that lost their equilibrium and fell to the pit bellow.

Some shadows tried to scape only to be chased by the fissures that seemed to have own will and surrounded them, causing circular sections of stone to fell to the great abyss bellow the temple. The only shadow that seemed to not be affected was Thorv'Ahs.

When the quakes ceased, the platform seemed to magically recover to its old form, like it had never suffered any change in its shape. The elemental shadows were in nowhere to see, save by Thorv, who again seemed horrified to see that his army was defeated so easily.

"What were you saying again?", Gnome asked. Thorv stood mute. Lloyd and the others snickered and giggled at Gnome's witty remark. "Now, if you ended to present to me your friends, maybe I can present to you some of mine."

The shadow looked confused, but before he could think about that matter he felt several pointy projectiles pierce through his back, until holes where opened in the front of his body, letting some projectiles go through it.

Thorv'Ahs hadn't time to look around and search for the one that made he to feel such pain, for that moment something big and heavy hit him hard in the face. Following the hit, he saw an over sized blade cut his front with such strength that he went to the ground.

All the blows were charged with energies that reacted directly against the element of his body. When the shadow looked again he saw three fairies floating around Gnome, bearing a bow, a big shield and the over sized sword he saw before.

The Sylph smirked at seeing the expression of panic in their opponents face. They turned to Gnome and the fairy wearing green and carrying the sword spoke:

"Sorry for the late arrival Gnome, but the mana flows are a chaos by these days."

"It's ok Sephie. Just help me to kick this guy's butt and we're even!", Gnome said.

"Yeah! Time to beat the bad guy!", Yutis, the fairy with the shield, squeaked.

Thorv tried to throw rocks at the fairies when he opened his mouth, but the twin spirits avoided it and started to attack the elemental shadow with blows charged with the power of the winds. Gnome entered in the fray, beating the shadow with his shovel or even thrusting it in his body, causing cracks.

The renegade shadow even tried to scape by merging with the earth, but it was just Gnome snap his fingers and the shadow reappeared. The earth itself was answering again to Gnome's commands and now Thorv'Ahs didn't have any heaven for to escape of the attacks.

Lloyd and the others sat in the altar, watching the almost unfair fight, but none of them would complain after all the trouble that shadow caused to the area around the temple. Zelos complained about not having any snacks for the show and even made a bet with Yuan, claiming it would be Sylph to deliver the final blow.

Raine then decided to turn her attention to a subject that she thought to be more interesting at the moment:

"Colette, about the fight early, that blows you did on Thorv'Ahs, how did you manage to do that?", part of the group turned their attention to Raine's question.

"I... I don't know. It's just that I felt I couldn't let him to kill me and then kill you all. So when I saw, I felt this energy flowing through my body and I feel like I could control it.", Colette said, hands together in a prayer-like way and in an almost confuse tone.

Raine put her hand on her chin. That ability remembered her much of Kermish's fighting stile using darkness energies. Could there be some relation between the two fighting techniques? The half-elf woman stated this doubt and Yuan answered her:

"Many Chosen Ones developed several new fighting techniques which were based on mana manipulation. I recall to see a similar technique when I trained one Chosen. I don't remember which one, but I remember that he used mana from the element that he had most affinity mixed with his own mana, resulting in powerful elemental attacks.

"Kratos and I never discovered if it was some kind of side effect by they having some of Martel's mana on them or something. Mithos didn't even bothered to investigate, 'as long as they serve as vessels I don't care'.", Yuan said, making an imitation of Mithos' voice tone. "Anyway, a Chosen One could domain this technique by training advanced mana manipulation or it could manifest, like in Colette's case, in situations of death or life."

"Fantastic!", Raine proclaimed. The group immediately looked to her and saw the half-elf's eyes shinning with a gleam they knew very well. "Considering the Chosen One's linages from the different worlds are not related, the fact that either can use the same ability is simple fascinating."

Raine's tone was almost the one of a school girl and the way her eyes were gleaming just served to make everybody more uneasy. She looked to Colette, like the young girl was the most precious thing in all over the world.

Lloyd and Sheena knew very well that type of glance and immediately jumped in defense of Colette, staying between her and the excited half-elf woman. Genis could just sigh and shook his head in shame.

"No way Professor!", Lloyd threw. When Raine asked what he meant the boy replied. "We won't let you diss... uh... dessec..."

"Dessicate.", Sheena said the word.

"Yeah. We won't let you do whatever she said to Colette."

Raine seemed almost indignant by what the boy was implying. She tried to defend herself:

"When did I suggest such a think?! I would just to ask for her to demonstrate the technique."

"Well, you tried to dessectionate Noishe, when we heard he was a Protozoan.", Lloyd remembered. Raine opened her mouth to reply, but immediately closed it.

"And you tried to do the same thing with Aska and Corrine.", Sheena spoke, remembering what was Raine's reaction when she learn what Corrine was.

Raine sighed in defeat. Some people would never understand what was for you to have a simple unique matter, yet not discovered by the science in hands.

Back to the battle, Gnome was taking big rocks from the floor with magic and launching it at Thorv'Ahs using his shovel. Fairess was practically making to rain arrows under the shadow. Yutis was charging a spell and Sephie was hitting Thorv several times with her sword by spinning her blade and flying in circles around the elemental shadow's body, in an attack she named Twister Spin.

The renegade shadow was a mess of holes, with several pebbles falling from his body, which wasn't regenerating anymore. The energies of the four Summon Spirits' attacks made to the shadow a damage beyond any recover.

Yutis then released a powerful Cyclone spell, making the holes in the shadow got bigger at the point his body as almost divided in two parts, the base that was where he mixed with the earth and the head. Two were being hold by fragile-looking parts of what was Thorv's body.

"Time for the storm.", Sephie said. She and Yutis prepared to cast what seemed to be a unison spell. "Cyclone Spin!"

Yutis casted Cyclone again and Sephie used her Twister Spin one more time, but now with much more speed and with such strength that the united blows of her sword and the spell reduced Thorv'Ahs' body to nothing. Just the shadow's head was left.

Gnome beat the head with his shovel, sending it to upward. The heavy Summon Spirit seemed to concentrate and suddenly his shovel started to shine with a brownish color.

Fairess aimed Thorv's remains while her sisters flew to her side and put her hands in each shoulder of the archer fairy. A glow enveloped the three spirits and an arrow appeared in the bow, shinning just as Gnome's shovel.

When the renegade shadow's head started to descent, Gnome threw his shovel at it with all his might while Fairess let her enchanted arrow fly. The two projectiles encountered the head at the same time and, when they hit, a bright flash of green and light-brown came.

The shadow roared while it's essence was erased and its existence encountered an end. When the flash subsided, Thorv'Ahs was no more. Gnome's shovel reappeared when the Summon Spirit lifted his hand.

The three spirits then cheered in victory while gave a high-five to each other. Lloyd and the others also started to cheer as they approached the victorious entities.

"Wow! That attacks were so cool!", Genis exclaimed. He never had saw such an exhibition of magic powers and mana control like that before.

"Yeah! You rule! That shadow never stood a chance!", Lloyd completed.

"Ha, thanks guys. But the credit isn't all mine.", Gnome said turning to the Sylph. "If it wasn't for my Sylph buds here, I'm not sure I could completely own that guy."

When Yuan asked what Gnome meant by that, Sephie answered for the hamster-like spirit:

"To completely destroy a chaos being, such as an elemental shadow, it's necessary not just destroy its body, but also attacks its essence, both elemental and spiritual, changing the energies of chaos that holds its body together and the ones of the element that is the source of its power."

Some of the group understood, others just caught the main idea, but two were completely lost and without a clue about what the guardian entities just said. Lloyd was the one to spoke:

"I didn't quite get it, but it means these shadow guys are hard to kill, then?", Lloyd asked. Everybody in the group, save by Colette, sighed.

"Yes, Lloyd... it means they're hard to destroy.", Sheena said.

The group got their attention warped when, by the second time in that day, Raine exclaimed:

"Fantastic! This means the beings know as the elemental shadows have bases that go beyond the ones of common beings!", Gnome and the Sylph, looked some of worried when they saw the gleam in Raine's eyes.

They had heard from the other spirits about the "peculiar" behavior of that woman towards subjects that could be considered new to the mortals. But they never could think that it was like this. It was just... scary.

Raine then turned to the four, frightened Summon Spirits and asked, with big puppy eyes:

"Could you lent me some energy of that shadows? Please."

"Hum... Raine...", Yuan called, some of uncertain if he should interrupt her. "Should I remember you that Kermish captured what seemed to be some of these elemental shadows and that it resulted in the death of his work team?"

"But it's not necessary a complete shadow, just a sample.", the half-elven woman turned to the spirits again, still with pleading eyes. "Please. I'm the best friend of your favorite summoner, am I not Sheena?", Raine asked with one of her typical smiles, turning to the female ninja.

Sheena got startled by her name being involved in the talk. She would have said she preferred Lloyd. Or Colette. Maybe Genis. Damn, even Presea! She just wanted Raine didn't look to her like that. It was freaking her out.

Nobody commented by fear of what Raine would make. She was a rather unpredictable when in her Ruin-mode.

The Summon Spirits finally seemed to have found their voice. Sephie thought on an excuse for to get out of there. She then spoke for her sisters while scratching her head:

"Oh, I remembered. We're late for that compromise we have.", she said.

"What compromise?", Yutis asked. She received an elbow from Fairess, making her to shut up.

With a "later" the three disappeared, leaving Raine to look at Gnome, who also scratched his head, looking to his sides, obviously trying to found any way to escape. The heavy guardian then remembered something he could use:

"Hey, look at the hour! I need to go! Y' know, that mana flows won't fix themselves up.", with that he left, before Raine could shout a "wait".

The half-elf researcher stood there while her other friends discreetly went away to the exit. Raine sighed in disappointment while spoke:

"I just wanted one sample. Is that much to ask?"

- - - - -

Merilius arrived at the desert altar. He grumbled at seeing that nobody was around. If it wasn't for that stupid shadows he encountered at the entrance, he would have reached Lloyd and his friends in time.

The magic swordsman approached to the crystal and touched it. It seemed they really did their job well. Sighing, Merilius thought:

_Oh well, at least there's still three more to go. I may catch up with them at the other temples._

With that thought in mind, Merilius turned to the exit of that part of the temple. Just one doubt still in his mind: what was this all about? Nebilim certainly wouldn't change the crystals and make the shadows to revolt just for the pleasure to anger the Summon Spirits.

Well, as long as they were working for to spoil Nebilim's plans, it was alright for him...

- - - - -

Flying back to Flanoir's base, the group was commenting what they would just do before to go to the next temple.

The girls knew what they would first do, especially Raine whose hair was a mess from the training with Maxwell and the fight with Thorv'Ahs, they would take a good bath to get rid of all the dirt they got in the hair and the clothes after fight with shadows made of earth.

The boys were similar, thought some of them preferred a good nap before anything. Even Yuan recognized he wasn't much presentable with clothe, cape and hair covered in dirt.

Before they could chat more, Yuan's "communicator" biped. Taking the rectangular device, he opened it and the voice of a woman came, under a pile of strange noises, indicating there was some kind of interference:

"Lord Yuan, we have bad news of Flanoir.", the voice sounded worried, the Renegade's leader could say it even with the noise.

"What happened and why there is so much interference?", Yuan asked. The communicators were made to work even in places where could be natural inference such as mountains or the underground.

"A huge snow storm started some hours ago. It seemed to be another common storm, but it got much worse, to the point where our instruments started to have malfunction. It seems to be work of that elemental shadows you spoke of, my Lord. Before we went off, our radar picked up what seems to be a huge concentration of monster in the main land."

Yuan shallowed dry. It seemed the things got pretty bad while they were occupied dealing with the earth shadows. If Flanoir was already having a record snow fall, he didn't want to even think what could be happening in the other areas near the temples.

A sudden thought came to Yuan as he immediately asked to the communicator:

"What about Flanoir City? Is anything happened there while we were away?"

"Nothing that we could report sir, but we've lost communication with Flanoir some hours ago. We don't know how the things are now."

"Listen up, I want all the possible entrances to the base locked up. Tell everybody to go to the inner levels and in the case of an attack evacuate the base through the teleporter room. Don't open the base until I give the order."

The voice acknowledge and the communication went off. Regal asked what Yuan had in mind that could happen for him to gave such an order. The former Seraphim didn't answer at first. He turned to Sheena and asked:

"Could you ask for Efreet to take us to Flanoir?", the ninja nodded, but asked the same as Regal. "If what I'm thinking prove to be truth, we may have to deal with an attack against the city."

The group of heroes gasped at that. It seemed their relaxation time would have to wait. If the shadow controlling the Temple of Ice was just as Thorv, then he probably wouldn't lose a chance to get rid of some people from the surface.

Sheena put her Rheaird in automatic pilot and started to chant. A red, glowing aura engulfed her while she said the enchantment. After the ninja have called for the red giant's name, Efreet appeared in flash of red-ruby.

"What do you ask of me, great summoner?", the scarlet Summon Spirit asked.

"Efreet, can you take us to the city of Flanoir, passing by this snow storm?", the burning entity nodded.

"I can. But, if the situation is just like the other spirits told me, I cannot do anything beyond this. The mana flows in the continent are being overwhelmed by mana of ice and my powers may fail with the time.", with that Efreet turned to the raging storm over the continent and produced what seemed to be a shield made out of flames in his front.

The group then entered in the aerial space of the icy continent, Efreet at the lead, creating a gap through the storm. Somehow the winds seemed to calm around the group, while the Summon Spirit of the fire guided them to the only city in that desolated place...


	31. The Cold of a Battle

FINALLY VACATIONS!!! (dances around happily) Now I can finally relax a little! I'm sure some of you must already be at vacations even considering you're in school. Well, at least I think, I don't know how the educational system works in another contries.

Now let's answer some reviews:

Maurice: First of all, I'm not angry at you. You're just having dificulties with this thing of have to prepare to the final tests. I by myself already have to suspend my writing to study, so I comprehend your situation.

Now about the skits, yeah, if the forum don't come back to the air, I'll have to see what I'm going to do about these. Maybe I would post it here, but I don't know. Maybe... if I get some requests... I could consider doing so.

Woot! I passed the mark of a hundred thousand of words! This normally would be motive to commemorate, but I just don't know what to do. Oh, well...

Now let's go to another chapter and see who our heroes will fight against more legions of monsters and elemental shadows! Keep attention for more surprises! 8)

* * *

**Chapter 31**

**The Cold of a Battle**

The weather of Flanoir was always one of the most extreme of that world, but it also had it's periods of calm. However, this wasn't the case when Lloyd and his friends arrived at the gates of the only city in the continent.

When Efreet disappeared, after had guided them through the storm in safety, the group was greeted with a heavy load of snow under them. They couldn't see properly in that conditions and that made them imagine how they would fight if there was really an attack.

The heroes turned to enter in the city when a voice called their names. Turning, they saw a figure under the snow storm, coming to the city. The group was ready to drew their weapons when they recognized who was the figure:

"Good. You finally arrived.", Celsius said in a tone that clearly said "it was about time".

"Since when were you here?", Sheena asked, deciding to ignore Celsius' "greet".

"After you parted to help Gnome, I and the others went to near our temples try to maintain the mana flows stable, even if we're out, and diminish the elemental shadow's influence in the environment of this world. Well, it wasn't really easy, considering some of that shadows thought they were strong enough to play with us. Hu, a bunch of weaklings I say! If it wasn't for that crystals, we would have kicked them out of our temples.", the group went to the Inn while Celsius talked and spat some more about how just coward the shadows were.

Celsius was never someone that Sheena thought like a virtuous spirit. In a fact, the icy entity seemed to her a cross between the arrogance of Meltokio's nobles and Yuan's sarcasm, but at the same time she didn't seem all that bad.

_She just have a slight problem of attitude._, Sheena thought always that she heard some of Celsius' sharp speech.

Though, that wasn't the reason she preferred to not summon the guardian of the ice so often. Always that Sheena summoned her Zelos almost drooled over her. Though he made that with almost all the female-looking Summon Spirits, Celsius seemed to most inclined to blast the pervert Chosen with her power. So it was safer, for him, if she didn't summon the icy entity.

"And what about the monsters? Are they really reuniting?", Lloyd asked to Celsius, after they had reached the Inn's door.

"Yes. They're possessed by some shadows and will surely attack this city to get rid of the humans living here. They want to make this continent their 'paradise'. Just in their dreams I'll let this to happen! I already achieved to defeat a part of their little army, but they're still many. I'll go and hold them off for some more time. You stay here and get prepared. When they're coming, I'll send a signal."

"What type of signal, my frozen beauty?", Zelos asked, his idiot smile playing over his face.

Celsius shot to him a so sharp look that could cut through even a guard made out of myrthrill. An almost wicked smile appeared in her face before she said:

"You'll know when you see it.", with that, Celsius left, leaving the group, save by Zelos, really worried about what she just meant by that.

When they entered the Inn, they saw the living room filled with people. It was almost like all the city was reunited there. Dribbling through the people, Yuan achieved to reach the counter and asked for some rooms. For his luck the tourists there didn't take any, assuming the storm would pass soon so they could go to the coast line.

Handing the keys, Yuan discussed with the others how they would share the rooms, since the older half-elf got rooms with the three beds each. Lloyd and Sheena immediately said they could share one, earning a very suspicious look from Raine and a naughty one from Zelos.

"Before you two think any stupidity, we're not going to do anything that...", the female ninja looked to the youngsters in the group. "Well, you know what I'm talking about. Besides, I still angry with Lloyd by dragging us to the Earth Temple."

"But I already apologized for that and you said it was fine.", Lloyd whispered to Sheena, who whispered back:

"Yeah. But they don't need to know. You know how overprotective Raine can be."

Lloyd gulped at the memory of the times when Raine almost acted like a mother to him, before silently nodded. Sometimes Raine could be as scary when she was overprotective about someone as when she was angry or in her Ruin-mode.

Raine then turned to the rest of the group, saying Genis would stay in her room. The young warlock almost made the mistake to ask why he couldn't go with Presea, when the memory of his talk with Raine about his feelings towards the ax wielder clicked in. He decided it was better for his health to maintain his mouth shut.

After settled the division, the all went to their rooms. Colette decided to go with Lloyd and Sheena, what at first seemed to startle the two, but remembering about her little prank early they decided to leave it be.

When they entered the room, they immediately laid on the beds. Lloyd slept almost instantly while Sheena and Colette still woke. The sleep seemed to don't come so easily to them, so they decided to talk, since their beds were near.

Sheena spoke under whispers, but Colette assured her that Lloyd had a heavy sleep and he would just wake if someone spoke directly at his ear. The blond Chosen One then decided to talk about something that she didn't have touch sometime ago:

"Sheena.", the angel called. The ninja turned her attention to her. "What did you see when you looked to Nebilim?", Sheena tilted her head to the side, a common gesture that she made when she was confused. "I mean, what did you feel? When I saw him, in that illusion where he controlled me, all that I saw were shadows. Horrible shadows and darkness, like he hated everything and everybody. I didn't see someone who suffered and decided to take revenge, I saw someone who choose to be evil."

Colette's hands trembled under the blanket. She was already curing from the things Nebilim made her to feel, but she just couldn't help, but shook whenever she remembered what she saw in the Dark Lord's eyes.

Sheena asked if it was really what Colette saw. When the young girl nodded the female ninja didn't have anymore doubt. She already had seen people who acted selfish and didn't care if the others will suffer, but she never saw someone that actually enjoyed it because he simply liked. It made the Desian's motives seemed almost reasonable.

"When I see him, I see someone who looked like cold and calculative. Someone who uses the others and thinks in new ways to more effectively use them.", Colette lowered her head. "I, Lloyd and Zelos talked about it and Zelos believes Nebilim just reflects the ideas the elves have about us.", the female ninja then explained the talk she had with the two and about what the elves really thought about humans.

The summoner had heard in Mizuho about the elven culture. Their ways of thinking, their believes about ancient events. They were a rather curious people. Always hid, trying to preserve their traditions and ways from the influence of the outside world much like Mizuho. But the difference was that Mizuho didn't discriminate anybody or tried to put the blame of the world's situation in the Ancient War.

When mana was lacking in Tethe'alla, the elves had to abandon their magic ways and learn how to live without it. The result: the number of elven spell casters was drastically reduced over the years. The elves would never admit, but actually there was some of them that had difficulty to cast even a simple Fire Ball.

It was indeed a rather socking revelation for some to learn about the people that discovered the magic and how mana worked in that world. Sheena, by herself, was mouth agape when she heard about it.

The grand summoner laid back to her bed. She could just imagine what Nebilim would do when he saw what the once proud and magical elves were reduced to...

- - - - -

The three friends woke with the sound of something heavy falling in the floor, followed by a scream of pain. Sheena, Lloyd and Colette stood up and immediately went to what they identified as the source of the scream and the sound.

For one moment they thought the army of possessed creatures had arrived, but when they found that the sound came from the room where Yuan, Regal and Zelos were sharing, they started to get curious. Opening the door they then discovered what was the cause of the scream...

Well, Celsius was right for when she said they would recognize the signal when they saw it. Regal and Yuan were also sat and awoke in their beds and seemed to be holding a laugh.

"Someone can get this iceberg out of me?!", Zelos whimpered, underneath the big, ice rock...

- - - - -

After woke everybody, the party went to outside in the storm and passed from the city gates. The weather was as bad as when they arrived.

Celsius waited for them far from the city's gates. She chuckled when saw the indignant expression on Zelos' face. After fill them about her progress in delaying the advance of the enemy, she asked if they achieved to rest a little. The group nodded.

"I won't lie, the army is far much great for me to completely destroy it. I achieved to reduce it's numbers, but they still a considerable force. And the weather is their ally, the elemental shadows of ice fought better in this type of condition. They can meld with the surroundings, turning invisible to anyone without a special, trained vision."

The expression in the faces of the group was the one of worry. They didn't know what Celsius mean by a "special vision". For them that meant even Yuan may not be able to see the shadows in that snow storm.

Seeing the confusion in their eyes, Celsius smirked while said:

"Fear not my friends, for I have a little surprise for when those creeps arrive.", the icy entity said nothing more after that.

A familiar roar echoed under the snow storm. Slivers. The group drew their weapons, ready to anything that might came from the snow. Then they saw it. Tens of figures, no, hundreds of figures coming from the storm.

Projectiles flew to the party's direction and they rose up their defenses, deflecting the projectiles. The group could take a glimpse of what it was. It was ice crystals, the ones that the Ice Warriors in the Ice Temple shot. Other figures approached the group of heroes and threw snowballs. Penguinists.

Lloyd and his friends went to the attack before the monsters could shot more ammo on them. Lloyd had to refrain from using his Vorpal Blade, since the creatures were resistant to ice. Sheena enchanted the group's weapons and started to furiously attack the nearest Ice Warriors, together with Presea and Colette.

Genis casted Explosion on a big group of monsters, but soon he discovered that Efreet wasn't playing when he said that the mana flows in Flanoir were overwhelmed by mana of ice. When the concentrated fire ball fell and released its power, it hardly made the monsters flew, save alone burnt them. Genis could feel the power of his attack was diminished.

Trying to cast another spells, the young warlock found more difficult to gather the necessary mana to do any significant damage, also he was now even missing his spells due the bad visibility in the storm.

Raine was near the others, who were furiously fighting to keep the monsters away from the spell casters of the group. Presea, Regal and Yuan were now battling with legions of Penguinists, Ice Spiders and other creatures. Yuan's lightning was doing a great load of damage in the ice creatures. Celsius had conjured what seemed to be a long lance made of ice and was impaling and kicking any monster in her reach. Even the powerful and resistant Slivers couldn't stand the attacks of the spirit.

Genis tried once again attack some Ice Spiders, but this time he didn't even produced a spark. Celsius, after being throw away by a Sliver that dug under the snow, landed near Genis. Seeing the difficulty of the young warlock, the Summon Spirit said:

"It's better you stay away of this battle, little one. I'll take care of that monsters for you."

"I'm not little one!", Genis replied, blushing in embarrassment by being treated as a child by the powerful entity. "I'm a teenager!"

"Of course you are.", Celsius said with a smirk and returned to the battle, leaving a confused Genis behind.

"What just did she really mean by that?"

After some monsters had been eliminated ,the group started to see some other strange figures in the middle of the battle. Sheena was the first to feel something sharp cut her back. When the female ninja turned, she took the glance of what seemed a strange, humanoid being formed by a white matter and with red eyes. As fast as the summoner located the figure, it disappeared from her sight under the storm.

Yuan, Colette and Regal achieved to avoid or defend the attack of the strange white beings, but when they tried to counter, the things simply disappeared. Raine got a cut in her right arm, which made she drop her staff. Before the half-elven woman could recover it, she received a blow of something big in her face that made her went to the ground. Taking a glance at her attacker, she saw that one of the shadows had morphed its hand in what seemed to be a big block and hit her with it.

Celsius seemed to be fighting and jumping from invisible attackers. When the guardian of the ice saw her companions falling under the silent attacks of the elemental shadows, she decided it was enough.

"Time for my little surprise.", standing still, Celsius closed her eyes in concentration. In the next moment, she opened them and a shock wave was sent to the ground, making a circle of snow rise and expand until it seemed to have reach the mountains around the continent.

Lloyd and his groups almost got buried under the snow that rose. They regrouped when they saw the strange change and suddenly felt the land shake. Around them, four ice spires came from the snow, at far away from the battlefield, and started to rise to the skies. Lloyd and his friends stayed in awe when they saw what just Celsius had prepared.

When the spires where higher then the mountains of the continent, something started to shine in their tops and a great dome of transparent energy started to form, its diameter in the exact distance between the four spires. When the dome was closing under them, the snow suddenly stopped to fall. The dome then closed and turned invisible, like it never had really existed and the ice shadows appeared to group.

Celsius' smile grew as she saw the shadows confused of how the storm simply stopped when they seemed to be gaining the battle. The icy entity then shout to her companions:

"Don't you think they deserve a lesson by messing with us?", the group then turned to her and nodded with a grin in their lips.

The match turned to the hero's side as they started to attack with all their strengths what was left of the monsters and the shadows. Fire and lightning fell upon the adversaries of the party, reducing them to nothing, as the shadows dissipated when they were defeated and the monsters fell to the ground. The army of hundred was now reduced to some dozen.

Yuan, Sheena, Colette and Lloyd were already felling a rather tired, but kept going, their hopes of win the battle renewing their strength. Then a strange voice echoed through the sounds of the wind, which still blowing even if it wasn't carrying snow anymore.

"What is this strange voice in the winds?", Regal asked aloud.

"This isn't a voice. It's an... enchantment.", Celsius said. She then recognized what the strange words meant too late.

Another quake came and, one more time, snow rose to the skies when something arose from the deeps of the cold land, but this time it was in the middle of the battlefield. Celsius' jaw fell when she saw what was roused by the spell.

Great creatures, bigger than even the Slivers, arose. Their hands the size of and adult man. They looked like a Colossus statue, but made out of some type of blue crystal, probably ice crystal. The creatures then started to move, its steps causing the land to shook and snow to arise again.

"Wha... what are those things?!", Zelos asked, backing away while slashed at another insistent Penguinist.

"Ice Golems. That damned shadow must be really desperate to broke their seal.", Celsius explained.

Colette tried to throw one of her chackrans at the giant creatures, but even with Sheena's Fire Seal enchanting her weapon it was deflected by the hard, solid material that the Golems were made of. Lloyd tried to slash with his sword, but it also was deflect and he got kicked away, landing near the rest of the group.

"They're not the type of Golems that I know.", the Eternal Swordsman commented while Raine cured him and the rest of the group.

"It's because the Golems you know are a relatively new generation. These are the original ones that existed in the ancient times and they're really mean to kill. They caused a great deal of trouble in the past, forcing us to kill them until the species was almost in the brink of the extinction. The worst is that they are completely immune to any type of magical attack of their attribute. I needed Efreet's help to just seal these three.", the Summon Spirit of the ice said.

"We don't need to know what they are! Just tell us how we defeat these things!", Sheena pronounced, fending down another Ice Warrior that tried his luck with her.

"Simple, hit them with really strong attacks until they shatter.", Celsius said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Sheena grumbled something about Yuan learning the significance of sarcasm with Celsius. The Golem at the head opened its mouth and a great white cloud shot from it, in the group's direction.

"Don't let it touch you or you'll instantly froze!", Celsius warned, what wasn't necessary since the group already flee.

The clouds covered Celsius' figure, doing no harm to her. The Golems walked to the group once again. Some tried to grab the nearest heroes, but they achieved to escape from the giant's grasp. Luckily, the colossal creatures were extremely slow.

Zelos and Yuan tried to cast spells against the Golems, but the power of the attacks was so low that it hardly made the ice giants to flinch. Cursing, Yuan had to flew away from the hand of another Ice Golem that tried to grab him.

Part of the group continued to fight against the monsters that were left of the once great army while other part tried to harm the Ice Golems. Colette threw everything she had in her arsenal against them, but everything bounced back against the hard ice skin of the Golems. Lloyd was below, looking to the creatures, trying to find any weak point. He couldn't go directly against creatures of that size, it would be suicide.

Then the Eternal Swordsman saw one of Colette's chackrans hit the Ice Golem's face and something seemed to fall when it was hit. Lloyd then decided to put his bet on the strategy he was forming. Showing his wings, the red clad boy called for Sheena.

The summoner saw Lloyd motioning for her to come with him, nodding she went to her boyfriend and he grabbed her wrists, launching in the air. While flew to the Golem's face, Lloyd explained:

"I think I saw a weak point in that thing's face. Maybe if we blow out his head we can defeat it."

"You know that got so close to something that can easily crush us is madness, don't you?", Sheena asked.

"Letting yourself fall into a dark pit also seemed madness to me and even so you managed to caught with me.", Lloyd remembered her from that situation in the Tower of Salvation's deeps.

"Touché."

The two passed near Colette, who looked kind confused by saw the two of them in the air. Lloyd quickly shout to her to distract the colossal giant. The blond angel nodded and started again to throw her projectiles against the gargantuan monster.

Lloyd flew high above the monster's head, who still distracted by Colette. The Eternal Swordsman than left Sheena go when they were directly above the Golem's face, but not before he felt Sheena's Fire Seal spell flow from her hands and pass through his body until it reach his sword's sheaths.

Drawing his weapons and stretching his right arm, with Flamberge in hand, Lloyd shot against the Golem's face. Flames were produced while he cut the air like a missile, in the Rising Phoenix technique.

Sheena had reached for her cards and when the Golem noticed a movement above and turned his head to her, she used Pyre Seal on the creature's face with all her power while landing in the creature's right shoulder. The Golem seemed to slightly move backwards for the force of the attack and in another moment a flaming blade embedded itself in it's forehead, causing cracks and slightly melting it.

Sheena attacked where should be the Golem's cheek in such speed that it seemed she was attacking with flaming hands instead of enchanted seal cards. The attacks were diminishing the defenses around the Golem's head. Lloyd used Sonic Sword Rain and Super Sonic Thrust to make the hole in the monster's forehead bigger.

When two, big hands came in the duo's view, Lloyd flew to the side and Sheen jumped to the head. Seeing the hole in the forehead, Sheena reached for something in her pocket. The female ninja took what seemed to be one of her smoke bombs and warped one of her seal cards around it.

Dropping the weapon in the hole at the Ice Golem's forehead, she signalized for Lloyd to caught her. The red clad angel came and grabbed her at the same time the Golem moved one of his giant hands to his head, like it was wanting to swap a bug.

When they were at a certain distance, a strange shine came from the Ice Golem's head. In the next moment the ice Colossus's superior limb exploded in thousands of ice shards, which flew to all directions. Flames came from the explosion and the creature stopped to move once it's member was severed and fell to the ground, making a big quake that shook all the lands around and snow rose to the sides.

Lloyd looked to his defeated opponent in utter surprise. He turned to Sheena and asked:

"What did you just do?", the female ninja grinned before answer.

"Just one of the normal bombs of my village. I thought it could be useful in the case we had to make our own exit, so I brought a load of them to our journey. It seems I was right. All that I do was just make it more potent using one of my fire seals."

"Remember me of never caught you in your bad side.", Lloyd said, playfully. Sheena laughed at that.

They then flew to the other Golems to repeat the same process of the first. That battle was finally over...


	32. Chilling Fear

**Chapter 32**

**Chilling Fear**

After made a trip back to Flanoir to recover from the harsh battle, Lloyd's group finally head to the Temple of Ice. The trip was calm, since Celsius' spires still working and blocking the tempest that still raging around the lands of the continent.

When the group arrived near the temple, they saw piles of monsters' corpses. It seemed Celsius was making a clean. The icy entity said she would stood near the temple to maintain inside the temple any shadow that might escape to possess more monsters and begin the attack all over again.

It seemed she was doing a good job, for Genis said he could feel some type of distortion in the mana around the monsters' corpses. Yuan confirmed it felt like the chaos energy that the shadows were made of.

The group then discussed about what would be done. They decided that, like in the Temple of Earth, Celsius would stay outside the temple until they got to purify the crystal, so Sheen would summon her for she to get her revenge upon the head of the revolted shadows. Celsius agreed just after hear the part where they said she would get the chance to make the shadow to pay by invading her temple.

Yuan thought the most logical area to search for the crystal was the altar, since it was there in the other temple. Zelos then pointed to a detail they forgot:

"What will we do if we find that elemental shadow freak? Remember, Genis can't use fire magic and our spells are with half of the power by the crap they made with the mana flow."

The others thought about it, if Genis couldn't use his magic then he wouldn't be able to help much in this battle. On the contrary, they could even put him in danger while he haven't any chance to defend himself. Raine then decided:

"Genis you'll stay here and wait with Celsius. I don't think she'll go to anywhere away from the temple."

"I don't want to stay with her, I can take care of myself.", Genis protested.

Raine found that sudden attitude much strange for Genis. He never complained back in Iselia when she asked for Phaidra or another villager to take care of him. Why was him being so reluctant to stay with a Summon Spirit, who could protect him better then no one?

The answer then came when Celsius heard the group's argument and said:

"Don't worry. I'll take care of the little one.", she said with a smile to him.

"For the last time: I'm not little one! I'm a teenager!", Genis replied.

Colette, Sheena and Lloyd had to hold back the laugh. They had forgotten that sometimes Genis hated to being treated like the child he was supposed to be. Zelos, on the contrary, didn't hold his laugh and almost rolled over the snow while Genis blushed wildly.

Sighing over her brother's behavior, Raine replied:

"Genis, I'm sorry, but by the elven standards you still a child.", Genis tried to say "but", however Raine interrupted him. "And besides, you won't do any good in this battle if you can't defend yourself with your magic. It would be put you in danger without necessity. Now you'll stay here and behave yourself, was I sufficiently clear?", Raine asked, in a tone of one that wouldn't turn back in his decision.

Sighing, Genis agreed. He didn't want to make his sister and his friends worried because he couldn't fight or defend himself, so he decided to leave the matter be. Raine seemed to calm down and said he could enter when they summon Celsius.

The Disciple of the Ice again assured them she take good care of him while patted Genis in the head. Sheena and Lloyd found a rather interesting she was being so nice to Genis. Maybe it was just because he was child. Zelos was now almost having smoke coming out from his ears, he obviously didn't hold be ignored by a woman for a "brat".

To the group's surprise, Presea was the one to ask, in a strangely suspicious voice, why Celsius was being so nice to Genis. The icy entity looked to her like she was offended.

"What are you talking about? I'm always nice.", Presea now gave to the summon spirit a sharp look that could easily rivaled with Celsius', what just contributed to make the things more stranger. "Ok, I happen to like children, ok? I mean, at least they don't came to my temple thinking in possess my power or that they can easily win me and control the weather or something like that."

"Well, she has a point.", Regal stated. Presea seemed a little more satisfied, but still giving that suspicious look to Celsius.

The Disciple of the Ice just smirked when the group turned to enter the temple. If there was something she understood, was how people could be cold towards the ones they were jealous at. That girl probably didn't notice it, but it was a statement to her about what the girl was feeling for the little one.

_These children of today... they grow up so fast._, Celsius thought. Even thinking Presea wasn't technically a child, the pink haired girl still having the live experience of one.

Turning to Genis, the icy entity spoke to him, still with a smile in her face:

"So, I've heard you're a quite a good spell caster. Want to learn some new tricks little one?", she asked.

Genis, who was confused by just how Presea acted, got back to reality when he heard Celsius call him once again of "little one". He was now starting to get annoy at the Summon Spirit.

"Can you please stop calling me little one?"

- - - - -

The Temple of Ice seemed colder than usual, if it was even possible. The group made their usual way to the altar, but when they were passing by the ice bridge that stood high upon the frozen lake, Colette saw something in the said lake.

The blond angel called the group's attention and pointed to something at the middle of the lake. Taking a good look, the heroes found that indeed something seemed to be at the bottom of the lake.

Descending and sliding, until they stopped near the strange owl-like totems at the middle of the lake, the group looked to inside the icy surface and found that the crystal was at the bottom of the lake.

"How did it get there?", Sheena asked out of loud.

"Who knows? But anyway, we have work to do. Raine.", Yuan called.

The half-elven woman agreed. She looked to the bottom of the frozen lake and that seemed to make her some of nervous. She didn't like the idea of being at the middle of an lake covered in ice. That always brought to her the sensation that in any minute that ice could crack and then she would fall into the waters that probably should be at subzero temperatures.

Raine called for the enchantment and released it, but for her dismay the lights seemed to simply "slide" over the surface of the lake. Analyzing what could possibly go wrong, Raine came up with a theory, which she stated to the others:

"This ice is so strong that not even magic can pass through it."

"Then why didn't we just break it?", Zelos suggested, already drawing his weapon and swinging it.

"NO!!!", Raine shouted, but Zelos' sword already touched the ice and, strangely, it was bounced back.

The lake's surface didn't show even a scratch after the attack, that ice was harder then they have fought. Raine walked to Zelos and bumped him in the head with her staff. Hard.

"Think before act! If this ice was fine, we could have drown if it broke under our feet.", Raine scolded the red headed Chosen.

"Ok, sorry. I forgot you have fear of water.", Zelos tried to apologize, but due his bad choice of words he got bumped in the head again.

"I don't have fear of water!"

The group didn't say anything at that. They knew how Raine could be stubborn when denying her fears. A voice sounded in the air, making everybody immediately draw their weapons:

"So, you have come, at least...", near the path that gives access to the room of the altar something started to form from the ice of the lake. When it ended the group saw an elemental shadow that seemed much like Thorv'Ahs, but instead of a mane this one had great ice crystals sprouting to the side of its face and from its top, slightly pointing to back. "I'm sorry I couldn't greet you before, but you know, maintain a mana flow the way you want isn't an easy job."

The voice of the shadow was strangely cold and at the same time sounded like a whisper. It had an strange accent that the group had never heard before. It could be a characteristic of the shadows, but they didn't hear that when Thorv spoke. But thinking again it was difficult to find any accent on the earth shadow's strong voice.

The temperature around the group seemed to decrease some more with the shadow's appearance. The creature smirked at them while spoke:

"I'm Fern'Zen. The new Master of the Ice and one of the most cunning shadow heads. You may have defeated our brethren Thorv'Ahs, but he was the weakest of us. I, on other hand, am smarter."

"Did you evil creatures never get tired of saying the same puns?", Sheena said in a bothered tone that was a perfect imitation of Celsius'.

"Hu. I see you're the insolent type, well it won't matter in some seconds from now.", pointy ice stalagmites came from under Fern'Zen and extended to the group, who jumped to the side. Another battle had begun.

Sheena again enchanted the group's weapons. They attacked the elemental shadow, who avoided the attacks by going backwards and twisting its body. When Fern had gained some distance from them he quickly casted a spell.

Runes appeared under each hero's feet and a blank light surrounded them. The group could feel power leaving their weapons as they realized that Fern had dispelled them.

"Oh, sorry. Did I spoil your little toys?", the shadow taunted.

Grumbling, part of the group went to attack again while other part search in their Wing Packs for weapons that had a natural propriety of fire. To their dismay the weapons were inferior in power, comparable to their usual weapons, but it was the best way for them to harm the head of the rebellion.

Fern used another spell that encased some of the group in round prisons of ice. Lloyd and the others with wings flew before the prisons closed around them and broke the others' ones while Yuan started to attack the shadow with his saber, but Fern defended each blow with his clawed hands.

Colette tried to call for her technique to control the light mana on her body, but she couldn't do it. It was like something was missing in the environment. The blond angel then tried to use Angel Feathers, but when the energy chackrans were near the shadow, it simply batted the light projectiles away with its hands.

The rest of the group, once released, tried to attack, but all their elemental techniques were with their powers so low that Fern'Zen easily defended. They tried to use their physical techniques, but it also didn't make any significant damage.

The elemental shadow grinned while toyed with the group. However, that battle should have an end, so the shadow started to attack with strong ice spells, like Absolute and Freeze Lancer, and punched the nearest members of the party.

Some tried to avoid, but due the slip surface of the frozen lake, they badly have any success without the use of wings. For many times, Fern simply conjured a barrier of ice in which the members of the party beat in. The aim of the ice shadow was incredibly accurate.

Locating Presea, Fern'Zen "dove" part of his body in the surface of the icy lake, until just his head was out. Giving the back to the girl, who was sliding, without any chance to stop, the ice crystals sprouting from the rebel shadow's head moved and aimed in Presea. The crystals then shot at the direction of the ax wielder. Zelos noticed that and, in a quick fly, grab Presea by her shoulders, before the girl was impaled.

At the air, Zelos and Presea looked to the general situation. Fern, seeing his prey escaped "dove" in the ice and reappeared near Sheena, who was using all she could to defend against the fierce blows of the elemental shadow. The other members of the group were trying to hit Fern, but all the blows missed.

"I'm getting really tired of this. How do we defeat this guy?", Zelos complained.

"If at least we could use elemental attacks, we could win this shadow, but at this point we will lose if we don't think on some strategy.", Presea stated, her tone almost sounding robotic.

An idea came to Zelos. It could don't work, but they didn't have anything to lose at that moment by trying. Quickly speaking instructions to Presea, Zelos flew until he was directly above the elemental shadow, who was keeping his friends at the bay without any difficult.

Zelos left the girl go while he tried to reunite the thin mana of fire in the environment and prepared to attack. Fern noticed the sudden move, but didn't have time to dodge when Zelos slashed at his face and threw a fire ball in it, executing the Hell Pyre.

Presea landed near the shadow's base and attack it with a succession of spins at the same time Zelos hit the face of their opponent. Before the shadow could arm up a defense, Zelos and Presea prepared to launch a new attack and this time this one seemed to actually do some effect.

"Arch Wind!", the two warriors pronounced while Presea span at great speed, creating a fire cyclone around her, supported by Zelos' magic.

To the surprise of the duo and the others, the blow did some effect, melting part of the shadow's ice crystals, who grew back in his head after he had attacked Presea. They then realized it, if they used Unison Attacks, they would have all the power of their techniques back.

Raine and Colette attacked the shadow with a quick succession of slashes and light magic, forming the Whirlwind Rush, which made the shadow's ice body to crack. Yuan attacked with his Thunder Slices and Regal with Wolverine. At the final the two attacked again, at the same time, each attack followed by another of the companion's weapon.

To finalize Sheena and Lloyd used Power Thrust that broke the shadow's main body, making all the icy creature to shatter in thousands of ice fragments. The group then looked the shards disappear in the ground. It seemed they won the battle.

"Man, Celsius will throw a fit when we tell her we had to destroy him, but I think she will understand it was a matter of survival.", Sheena commented, with a smile.

Raine cured the part of the group that was hurt. They then turned back to think what they would do to get to the crystal. Before anyone could come up with an idea, winds started to blow around them and shards of ice started to appear.

The heroes just realized it was the magic Ice Tornado when they were hit by the tiny, though hard, shards. The tornado then throw them to the rocks and at its center something started to form.

Fern'Zen's head appeared and the winds started to surround it while something more formed from the head. Lloyd and his friends saw what seemed to be ten spider-like legs sprout from the sides and the back of the Master of Ice's head, which was now suspended in the air.

"I admit: it was a rather unpleasant. But, if you thought it was sufficient to kill me, then you're even more stupid then I previously thought.", the head talked in its cold, tauting voice. "Now, you shall see why they call me the terror of the ice."

Fern thrust two of his new legs at the surface of the ice lake and it formed a fissure, which extended in Raine's direction. The fissure opened under the healer's feet and Raine fell to the cold water. Before the half-elven teacher could emerge, Fern opened his mouth and breathed a freezing cloud, which closed instantly the fissure.

Raine's eyes widened in horror as she saw the ice closing above her, she tried to held her breath and beat the ice, but it was useless.

"RAINE!!!", Zelos shouted as he knelled and started to beat in the ice with his sword, which was bounced back every time he tried.

"I sensed she had an inner fear of water. Well, now either she'll get over it or die by it. Anyway, you won't have a healer to purify the crystal anymore.", Fern'Zen said, laughing while he saw Raine's expression of horror.

"You bastard!", Lloyd shouted, attacking.

The Eternal Swordsman discovered the new legs of the shadow were easy to cut and he achieved to break three of it, but the elemental shadow soon regenerated them and attacked Lloyd with the sharp stitches at the back of his legs. Lloyd knew that stitches were sharp enough to cut his body like it was butter.

Zelos still frantic trying to break the ice above Raine, who seemed to be struggling to brake it from her position. Yuan and Presea were trying to break the ice as well, since they were one of the strongest in the group, but all their efforts were futile. The weapons simply bounced back each time they tried to strike the icy surface.

Yuan then stopped and analyzed the situation, Raine still struggling in panic, her air would surely end and she didn't show any signals that she would calm down. Fear was driving her. The half-elf angel looked back to his companions fighting against Fern.

Regal tried to jump and kick the shadow's face, but the creature batted him away with one of its many legs. Sheena and Lloyd were attacking the legs, but each time they cut one, it regenerated at an absurd speed. Colette tried to use Angel Feathers again, but the power was still low due the change in the mana flows. Fern crossed three of his legs in the front of his face, forming a shield were the light chackrans hit harmlessly.

Then Yuan saw something that gave him hope when the chaos being tried to impale Lloyd with all its legs. The sharp points of the legs thrust right in the ice, forming holes on it. An idea immediately forming in his brain, Yuan called for Sheena, who was the nearest to him and which he could shout instructions without the elemental shadow hear it:

"Sheena, attract Fern to near here and make him attack you with his legs! He's the only one that can break through the lake's ice!"

- - - - -

It was cold. It was a hell cold. She just recalled of feel a cold water like this in the night which she fell from the boat where she, her mother, her father and Genis were using to reach the Otherworldly Gate. She remembered it was since that she started to fear the sea. To fear places where the water was more then knee deep. And now she was trapped. Trapped to die in this cold lake without any chance of escape.

Raine tried to maintain the calm, but it was impossible. The cold temperatures were making her muscles to freeze and her bones starting to shake. She tried again to beat the ice above her, but the water's resistance make her moves slow and she was already losing the strength.

So, it was like this she would end. Drowned inside a lake and with just the cold to make company to her passage to the afterlife. She couldn't even purify the crystal inside the lake and her friends could possibly die because of this.

Zelos was trying to beat the ice, again and again. But it was like try to punch a spring. Raine could see the Chosen's mouth moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. The ice blocked all the sound.

Then a violent urge of open her mouth to breath air came. The half-elven woman knew if she did, it will be her death, but the urge was stronger then her, like a natural instinct that she couldn't deny. Raine then opened her mouth and the water entered.

The half-elf's lungs were immediately invaded by cold water and she could feel it shrunk under the almost subzero temperatures. Zelos shouted again, this time Raine heard something, but it was barely a whisper.

The world went black as she felt herself heavy and her eyes started to close...

- - - - -

"RAINE!!! RAINE!!!", Zelos screamed as he saw the half-elf woman close her eyes and start to sank.

Sheena called Fern's attention by throwing a seal card, enchanted with fire, on the shadow's face. It hit bull-eyes and the face of the chaos being exploded in flames. When the fire subside, however, none damage could be seen.

"If you want so much to be the next, then I may fulfill your wish.", Fern said, while walking towards Sheena, in a spider-like motion.

"If you think you can beat me you freak, try your best!", the female ninja taunted, discreetly glancing at where Zelos was.

Sheena could see the red headed Chosen's expression of pure desperation and that could mean just one thing: she didn't have time to lose.

When the shadow was near to her it started to thrust its legs, all at the same time, to impale the summoner's body. Using all her best moves, Sheena avoided all the thrusts, always standing near the same spot. Fern tried to slash her, but Sheena back flipped before it was possible, making the elemental shadow to scar the frozen lake's surface.

Anyone who looked would think the ninja was toying with the shadow and that was exactly what Fern'Zen thought, while tried to hit her again and again. Sheena moved with such calm and in fluid movements that it seemed she was dancing instead of fight and that just make the elemental shadow angrier.

Yuan then touched Zelos on his shoulder and pointed to Sheena. The red headed Chosen got confused. Why was she dancing at an hour like that? Then he saw the ice under her crack and immediately understand what was going on.

Standing he looked to Yuan, who nodded, and when the hole, formed by the shadow's insistent attacks, got bigger, they went to the attack. Lloyd and the others also noticed the plan in motion and attacked.

Fern had to jump back to avoid all the attacks that came. Yuan took advantage of the moment and jumped, ready to thrust his sword at the little crater.

"Thunder Explosion!", the blow hit the center of the crater and the following thunders fell upon the cracks, making the hole to definitely shatter.

Yuan flew before fall inside the water and, as the Seraphim did this, Zelos jumped inside the hole. The water was really freezing, but the Chosen One didn't mind as he swan to catch Raine. The half-elven woman still sinking to the bottom of the lake.

"Hey you! Get out of there!", Fern said, noticing what Zelos was trying to do and opening his mouth, ready to breath ice and close the hole.

Before the shadow could do so, Sheena quickly took another of her bombs and enveloped it in one of her fire seals and threw it at the shadow's mouth. The chaos creature shallowed before he could properly react and seconds after an orange light came from inside him before he exploded in thousands of ice shards by the second time.

Zelos emerged from the opening, taking a deep breath, grasping Raine at his side. Lloyd and Colette helped him to make to the surface of the lake while Presea and Yuan laid Raine at the icy surface. The Renegade's leader tried to feel her pulse, it was weak. Extremely weak.

As Zelos recovered his breath he shot to Raine and tried to hear her heartbeats and breathing, they were all weak. Yuan tried to press her chest to get a reaction and make she cough the water out of her lungs, but it wasn't working.

"Oh, get out and let me do this!", Zelos said, impatiently. The red headed tried to directly breath air into her lungs by her mouth. "C'mon Raine, don't do this to me! Genis will kill me if he know that I let his sister dies.", the Chosen tried again to perform the first-aid technique.

Then, to everybody relief, Raine cough water out of her mouth. Zelos sighed in relief as she opened her eyes and looked to him.

"Welcome back to the living world.", the perverted Chosen said with a smile. Without any warning, Raine slapped him. "What the... What was that for? I just saved your life!"

"Sorry. It's the habit.", Raine mumbled as Lloyd and Presea helped her to stand, she was shaking like crazy. "I'm weak. I don't know if I can perform the spell.

"Oh, you will make it, cause I'll help. The last thing I... we want is for you have to pass by it all over again."

Raine shivered as Zelos said that, but she had to recognize it was true. Helping the healer to grab her staff, the red headed angel started to gather the mana around, together with Raine. They said the words at the same time, focusing on the crystal by the opened hole in the ice.

"Peace Song!", the two pronounced as the lights appeared in the water and crystal started to be purified.

"Damn you...!", a curse came from the other side of the room. Fern'Zen had regenerated again, no more in his strange spider-like form.

The base of the elemental shadow modified into several great ice crystals that shot towards Raine. Before the projectiles hit its intended target, Zelos came in front and used his Guardian spell. Some crystals shattered when touched the barrier, but the transparent, green shield soon broke and the left crystals pierced Zelos' arms and chest.

The Chosen fell, feeling great pain. The group stood in shock as they knelled near their friend. Fern transformed back into his spider form and shot to them. Lloyd, Sheena and Yuan stood in the group's front, ready to defend them from the advancing shadow.

When Fern was almost upon them a powerful kick was delivered in his face making him to stumble back. Recovering his senses, the suppose Master of Ice looked to just who dared to defy him and his jaw fell once he saw a floating Celsius, laid in the air with a hand on her head.

"You know, I was starting to wonder if they were wanting to have all the action for themselves.", Fern'Zen gulped and looked back to the crystal, he could sense it was back to its old state. "So, what about another dance?", Celsius smirked to the shadow.

Someone patted the shadow's head at the right side. Fern turned at the time to see a giant, red knuckle hit his face and launch him to one of the stone walls. The punch also melted a little the ice crystals decorating the chaos being's face.

Hearing a crack of knuckles, Fern'Zen then saw the strong figure of the Red Giant, Efreet. The burning spirit spoke in its strong voice:

"And this time the dance is in pairs..."


	33. Fire and Ice

Oh, mystery, mistery, mistery. The things are going just like my plan, once more. Hehehe!

Now, I may not be able to update so often, due I'm going to the beach with the family (thinks on the waves and the sea). I may try and update when I can, or rather, when I find time to go on a Lan House.

Well, it was what I wanted to say. Now, let's get this show on the road!

**

* * *

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**Chapter 33**

**Fire and Ice**

Fern'zen looked over his new adversaries, fearing for what certainly would be a lost battle. Celsius had been difficult to deal, even with the crystal backing him up. The icy entity fought with such ferocity that she almost wiped out half of the army Fern had brought with him, when he invaded.

Efreet looked at the shadow, almost feeling petty for him. Almost. When he and Celsius fought, back when they still trying some relationship, it was common for the weather over all the world goes from freezing to hot from one day to another. Though, she always tried to deny, Celsius had a temper that could easily match with his flames.

"Let's start then.", Celsius said, going to the attack together with Efreet.

The elemental shadow tried to shot ice crystals on them, but Celsius kicked all of them away and Efreet increased the temperature around him, so the projectiles melt before even got a chance to touch the Red Giant.

Fern transformed back in his spider-like form and tried to hit them with his legs, but again the Disciple of Ice kicked it or broke it with her hands and Efreet used his burning fists to melt the sharp limbs.

Meanwhile, Lloyd's group weren't paying attention to the current fight, for Raine and Yuan were removing the icy crystal that were embedded in Zelos' body, which was followed by complains each time they removed one.

"Ouch! Hey, go easy on the pain!", the Chosen winced again.

"Zelos, I can't cure you if we don't retrieve this and I'm certainly it would pain less if YOU STOP OF COMPLAINING!!!", Raine shout, grabbing another icy spear and yanking it to the side, making Zelos to wince again.

"Raine, Lloyd!", Genis said, arriving at the lake after slide the nearby stone slope. The boy stopped once he saw Zelos' bleeding form and his sister's clothes wet and with some ice on them. "What happened to you?"

Yuan murmured it was a long story and Raine asked for Genis to produce some fire so she could dry her clothes while she stilled retrieving the ice crystals from Zelos and curing his wounds. The rest of the group turned to the battle.

Fern was back to his usual form, but his face seemed strangely melted and he was panting. The elemental shadow was now a mess of what he was before.

Celsius kicked him in the face once again, breaking some of the ice crystals that decorated the chaos being's face. The hit was charged with energies that started to react against Fern'Zen's own. Efreet grab the shadow by the back with his two big hands and used Flames of Victory on him.

The elemental shadow's main body immediately melted upon being bombarded by the fire of the Summon Spirit. Efreet punched the head, ripping it off. Celsius prepared to receive the severed limb by charging energies in her feet and hands, making it glow.

"Shallow Dance!", the icy entity shout when she hit the head in mid air with a succession of aerial kicks, breaking the crystals around the face completely. "Efreet, catch!", when she landed she quickly united her hands, creating a ball of energy in it and threw it at Fern, who was falling near to her, making the remain of the once powerful shadow flew to the burning entity.

A red, glowing circle appeared under Efreet, as he charged a spell. Lloyd' group held their breath to the attack that was coming.

"By the wrath of the flames, you shall burn...", Efreet chanted as he released the spell. "Flame Tower!", a great pillar of fire materialized in the front of Efreet, at the direction Fern's head was flying to. The temperature quickly raised, almost making the heroes, who were at some distance of the battle, sweat.

Fern looked in complete horror before he entered the flaming tower of magic fire. The shadow couldn't feel the chaos energy running through his being anymore and now he knew that what was left of his being would be destroyed by that powerful magic. He did the only he could and spoke:

"Lord Nebilim... may Ara Tharu brought order to this world!", with this last statement of his faith in the Dark Lord's society, Fern'Zen entered the burning flames, being totally dissolved in an instant.

After felt none trace of the shadow was left, Efreet motioned his great hand to the pillar of fire and it immediately extinguished. Lloyd and the others stood in awe as they saw the Red Giant dispel the powerful magic as it was a candle, which he could blow. They were already impressed by the spell alone.

The heroes went to congratulate the victorious spirits. Celsius was some of blushed by receiving so much compliments, as she said:

"Ah, it was nothing. Just another day of work in our duty to guard this world.", the Summon Spirit of ice said.

"Well, if you don't want to be complimented, then I may take the credit.", Efreet said, smiling playfully at his companion.

"I never said that.", Celsius stated, sharply.

Efreet smiled inward. It was one of his favorite hobbies make the other Summon Spirits got as red as him or simply make fun of them. They always said that he needed to "relax and leave to be so ferocious" sometimes and that proved to be quite fun.

Celsius sighed as she realized Efreet was playing the "annoy Celsius until she tries to froze you" game. All her other companions liked to do that, probably because they always want a revenge for the times she made fun of them.

"What was that Ara... Taro... thingy he said?", Lloyd asked, looking to where the tower of fire disappear.

"That was the name of Nebilim's order. In the language of his ancient people, it means 'true order'. So pretentious...", Efreet commented.

Zelos, who was already cured, looked to Raine as he was waiting for something. The half-elven woman noticed that and asked him if there was something on her face. The pervert angel simply spoke:

"Won't you go on and beg them for some sample?", Zelos asked, like the scene was some of funny to see.

Raine resisted the urge to bump or slap him. She shouldn't do that now, since he saved her life. Maybe he wasn't that bad, or at least he knew when to play serious and help the others. The researcher stated:

"I wouldn't take any sample of that... monster, even if it means I could discover something. It's simply not worth."

"Oh. So you actually care about from who or where you take your relics, uh?", Zelos said with a smile. Raine knew that he was playing with her, but she wouldn't let the Chosen had the satisfaction to see her annoyed.

"I just think that not every discover may bring good things. I have a prove of that many times before.", she added sharply.

When the group ended to cheer the Summon Spirits, the guardian entities dismissed themselves and faded, turning back to their duties and to correct the dirty the shadows had left.

The group then exited the temple, but once outside, Raine almost collapsed, being caught by Regal at the time she almost hit the ground.

"Professor, are you alright?", Lloyd asked, concerned. She looked weak now.

"I'm... fine... just a little tired, I suppose...", Raine said.

"You had a quite traumatizing experience back there. We should go back and rest before go to the next temple.", Regal suggested. The group nodded.

"I'll have the Renegades knew they already can open the base. The snow storm passed now and I'm certainly we can go and rest there this night.", Yuan said.

At the back of the group, Zelos looked with worry to Raine. Traumatizing was the word for what he saw on her eyes through that ice separating her from surface in the lake. She had an almost deadly fear of water, the Chosen One knew that. But be trapped in a frozen lake to die drowned...

Cursing the name of that shadow... what was that name again... he couldn't remember. It seemed all these shadows have quite complicated names. Anyway, he just hoped Fern was sent to some place where he could burn by all the eternity.

Approaching the rest of the group, Zelos spoke to Raine:

"If you want, I may carry you to the base or ride in your Rheaird.", Raine looked to him with a really ugly look. "It's not what you're thinking, ok? I just want to make sure you're well. You looked really scared when you fell in that lake."

Brushing aside the chill she had at the mention of the recent experience, Raine got surprised by the tone of Zelos' voice. It was a worried and caring one. The type that someone who is genuinely worried would use.

The rest of the group also noticed that. They were as surprised as Raine if not even more. Could their perverted friend suggest something like this without second intentions? It seemed so... so... not Zelos.

They remembered of the occasions where Zelos reveled what he really thought. One was in the Tower of Salvation, when he betrayed them. They always thought if Zelos really meant that words, but the Chosen One himself claimed he really did deceive them. Another was during that illusion of the Derris Emblem. That one confirmed the first situation.

But after that, Zelos seemed to still the same. The same pervert, idiot, joking-around Zelos. Regal said something about you wear a mask by so much time that it turned into your true face. This could be a good explanation to Zelos continue to act like his old self. Could he now start to change?

Snapping out of her thoughts, Sheena quickly went to behind Zelos and grabbed his hands, twisting it in a way Zelos couldn't release nor use his arms. The female summoner then called:

"Colette, quick! Use that light control technique of yours on him. I think he was possessed by some of that shadows."

Realizing the moment, the group laugh at that, together with Sheena herself. Zelos murmured sarcastically:

"Haha. Very funny, Sheena."

- - - - -

Someone materialized in the air near the entrance to the Ice Temple. Grumbling under his breath, Merilius swore at his bad luck.

_That damned snow storm! That shadows must have enchanted it so I couldn't teleport anywhere near the mainland!_, he thought while called the shadows of some names he remembered.

He knew these revolted elemental shadows probably wouldn't want him near, since he controlled a light which could disrupt the chaos energy that held the shadow's bodies together. Also, his Runeblade was made to have similar proprieties to the Divine Souls, which meant it would be the ideal weapon to deal with the renegade creatures.

Once the Children of the Light arrived near the frozen lake inside the temple, he noticed the crystal inside it. Merilius could feel it was already purified. He had arrived late again and now Lloyd and his friends were just two crystals away from the end of this mission.

Maybe in the end, they wouldn't need of him. But something still bugging him. This feeling had companied him during all his way to the temples, but he couldn't find out what it was, though, he was certain it had something to do with his doubts about what was Nebilim's plans in all of this.

Merilius then felt a presence. It was so weak that he could have passed by it without even notice. Probably, it was disguising itself so it wouldn't be detected even by Celsius, who Merilius was sure was too much busy, working to fix the damage on the mana flows.

Drawing his Runeblade, which sang as it was released from its sheath, Merilius concentrated to find from where the energy came. He found its source near a stone pillar on the path to the ice bridge. Pointing the Runeblade, he had the confirmation of his suspects when he felt the sword react to something near there.

"Come out, whoever you are!", the magic swordsman ordered.

An cold laugh came and followed by it a dark wraith materialized near the rock pillar. It had hardly any power by what Merilius could tell and his presence was the one of a incomplete spirit. The appearance had a spectral tail and it's upper body was the one of a malnourished, skeletal human, but the head didn't have any human feature on it. It resembled Merilius the one of the Specters roaming the Tower of Mana.

A wispy and almost venous voice came from the wraith:

"Well, well, I had hopes you wouldn't notice my presence, but it seemed I underestimated you once more.", the voice seemed familiar to the light warrior and that presence... he knew he already felt it in somewhere before...

Merilius then tried to imagine that voice, a little more firm, cold and more venous, like it tried to hypnotize someone with just its sound. Then the gear kick in.

"There's no need to snide... Nebilim.", the Children of the Light said, almost spatting at pronounce the name.

"Oh, it seems someone make his homework. Well, you're right... in part. I am not Nebilim. I'm a part of him... of his soul.", the wraith hissed. "I'm here to observe how these heroes are doing against the elemental shadows, as I'm sure you can guess by now."

"Hu! Typical. Always like to know who you're fighting against and what they're doing.", Merilius said again.

The presence of that... sentinel, he decided to put it like, only made Merilius' feeling that something wasn't right more intense. He knew if the Dark Lord was watching all of that and wasn't doing anything to stop Lloyd and his friends to purify the crystals, he had a plan bigger then he could previously have imagined.

Then it clicked to him again. Nebilim wanted them to purify the crystals. But why? He had to warn Lloyd and Sheena about it before they make to the other temple. He could try to talk to the Summon Spirits, but they were too much busy, dealing with the shadows, fixing up the mana flows or trying to maintain the stabilization of the elemental mana.

"What Nebilim want with all of it?", Merilius interrogated the wraith again.

"You don't expect me to answer you something as easy as that, do you? Why don't use this little head of yours for once?", the creature taunted, making Merilius angry. To be honest, anything that sided with Nebilim was sufficient to make him angry.

"Answer me what Nebilim is planning with the purification of the crystals or..."

The wraith laughed at Merilius, before he could finish his menace. He knew that when someone did that, it meant nothing he could do would force the one to cooperate with him.

"Or what? I'm nothing, but an insignificant part of Lord Nebilim's soul. You may destroy me and nothing will change what is already in motion. I have already fulfilled my duty and my existence is no more necessary.", the wraith said.

Merilius grumbled. That was really bad. He _had_ to reach Lloyd and tell him about this or something that could turn the scores to Nebilim would happen.

Sheathing his sword, Merilius turned to the exit, but before he could go, the wraith behind him laughed again, before say:

"So pathetic... It's all that you always did in your whole life: sit and watch while everything turns to my side. It was like this in the past and it'll always be like that. You couldn't do anything even when I took your life. Maybe when this all ends, I shall let you live by all you did for me and turn you into my pet."

The word "pet" was all it took for Merilius to reach his sword and slash at the wraith in an inhuman speed. While the cursed spirit dissipated in the air, Merilius shout to anybody who could hear him:

"I'm not anyone's pet! No more!", the light warrior turned to the exit again, adding before go through the portal. "I'll learn to live again and that is a promise..."

- - - - -

Shadow fended down another elemental shadow that tried to exit from the temple. It was easy for him, since he could absorb the Chaos from which the shadows were made and turn it into mana of darkness. His own element provided that capacity.

Darkness could absorb light, or even consume other elements. It was because of it many creatures fought using darkness magic. It could corrupt what it touches if one wasn't strong enough to resist. But corruption and absorption without control could only lead to disaster. That was what they didn't understand. What almost nobody understand.

Shadow's element existed to bring balance to everything. "One couldn't exist without its opposite", that was the rule. If one was absolute, then it would cause chaos and with chaos, destruction. There should be a balance, or that absolute element may even start to take the others and that would also cause much troubles. Troubles and destruction.

Shadow knew Luna wasn't happy by what was happening with his mana flows. They were trying to devour the light around the temple and he couldn't let that to happen. He needed to maintain the stabilization of the mana flows.

Darkness wasn't supposed to be bad, but it was so easy to be transformed in another thing. Darkness was one of the most easy elements to manipulate. So easy that it could be transformed in another energies that were much alike. Alike, but different. It was what he tried to taught to Nebilim's ancestors, but they didn't listen to him and that caused their deaths.

Nebilim, however, was different, he had to recognize that much. Nebilim understood about the darkness and understood about the energies it could be converted to. He understood its effects on peoples hearts and knew how to control it. That angered Shadow greatly. Nobody had the right to control his element and use it to control the hearts he was supposed to maintain in balance. Nobody.

Shadow got out of his thoughts once he felt another elemental shadow coming. Time to get back to his work. But the guardian of the darkness didn't notice another shadow coming, this one by his back. The dark entity just noticed that presence when it was almost upon him and that was the biggest mistake he did that day. When he turned a great elemental shadow materialized, holding in its clawed hands one of the lights of the Darkness Temple.

Shadow felt his power diminishing as the light pierced his being...

- - - - -

After taking a good rest and a bath, the heroes were spread around the base. Some in the academy, others in the living rooms, talking. Yuan was in his office checking the last reports.

The Renegade's leader had ordered to a little party still around the sealed Nebilim's Fortress to report if anything new occurred. However, nothing had happened since they started to go and purify the crystals in the temples. It sounded some of... strange.

And they still didn't have any new about Merilius. Yuan had forgotten about him with all this trouble. Where was the Children of the Light? Merilius could help them to think in a way to fight Nebilim after they end with the matter of the temples.

In another part of the base, Raine had to stand an over attentive Zelos, who was almost getting her crazy, by often asking if she needed anything. In the beginning it was some of comfortable seeing him so worried about her, but now it was annoying the half-elven teacher.

Sheena was sat, reading some reports from her village. She liked to be informed about what was happening in the new Mizuho. After all, she still being the next chief. It seemed everything was normal as she read. In some reports, her grandfather even asked to her for information about everything that was happening. The information network still not repaired.

She just wondered what they would say when she arrived there and said that she was dating Lloyd. Her grandfather, Tiga and Orochi surely wouldn't mind, but she couldn't predict how the rest of the village would react. She could just hope Lloyd's reputation like the Eternal Swordsman would get over any reprobation that could come. If not, she would have to find another way.

When the female ninja heard Zelos' voice, asking by the fifth time if Raine needed anything, she looked over her reports to the two. Raine wear an expression of pure annoyance, almost turning into anger.

"Zelos, do you want really to help me?", Raine asked in a controlled tone. Zelos nodded. "Then could you please go to Flanoir and find a white flower with gray spikes?"

"For you my Ultra Cool Beauty, I would even go inside a volcano to search the most shinning rock just to make you feel better.", Zelos proclaimed, putting a closed fist in his chest, in the part of the heart. He was trying to sound determinate and courageous.

Zelos then exited the room. Right after that Raine let out a sigh of relieve. Sheena put her reports in a nearby table and asked to the female half-elf:

"For what is that flower?"

"To make the idiot disappears.", Raine said, coldly. Sheena let out a laugh.

"You know...", she tried to said between her laughing. "He's just trying to make you feel better, after your dive in that frozen lake. Though, I must say it's a very annoying way of make it.", Sheena then motioned for Raine to sit.

The half-elf sat while massaging her head. Having Zelos asking from five minutes to five minutes about your heath or what do you want wasn't a pleasant experience. She could just imagine how Sheena stood the pervert Chosen for all those years without kill him or, at least, cut his tongue out.

Sheena giggled again at random. Raine asked what was so funny and the female ninja said:

"You know, he must really like you to be so annoying about if you're feeling well.", Raine replied with an "what do you mean?" glare. "Well, you probably already noticed, but Zelos thought that he loved me. So, he got really annoying when he tried to apologize to me about a little scene he made me pass in Princess Hilda's birthday party."

"I think you must be imagining things. Zelos must be like this to any girl.", Raine said in an unconvinced tone.

"Oh. So you really think he would give himself all this work just because of a woman he wants to get to the bed. No, it's not like him to be so... persistent. If this was the case, he could have any other woman that he wants."

Raine had to recognize there was truth in Sheena's words. Zelos wouldn't make all of this if he wanted her like he wanted any other woman that previously passed in his life. It was simply against any logic.

Could Zelos, the ultimate Gigolo, have this kind of feelings for her? It seemed so absurd when she thought about it, but she indeed saw Zelos treating Sheena in a different way he treated his groupies. Raine's head started to spin with the possibilities.

"Are you really certain about it?", Raine asked to Sheena.

"I cannot say if it's really love or anything, but that he feels something for you, he feels. I know that guy for quite sometime and, as much as I hate it, I know how that head of his works.", Sheena said, turning to read her reports again.

Raine was left in silence to contemplate that situation again. It seemed impossible. Maybe she was just exaggerating the things. Maybe it wasn't anything so serious and he was just being his annoying self. Maybe...

_Wait. Why am I caring so much about it?_, she snapped herself mentally.

She couldn't think on the possibility of have a relationship with someone like Zelos. It was completelyagainst any sense. Zelos wasn't the type of man that would dedicate himself to just one woman. At least, he didn't seem like that.

But an inner voice told Raine that Zelos sometimes could be incredibly smart and responsible. A proof of that was that time, when he simulated his betrayal to the group just to get the Aionis to make the Eternal Ring. He confirmed he was spying them at the beginning, but he also said he wanted to do something to redeem himself for that.

Before she could still contemplate that enigma, another female figure appeared in the room, a figure with blond hair sat in a moon, in a flash of yellow light. Luna looked deeply worried as she spoke to the two woman:

"We need you at the Temple of Darkness. Shadow got captured..."


	34. Rescue in the Dark

**Chapter 34**

**Rescue in the Dark**

The group arrived at the door of the Temple of Darkness. During the way, Aska filled them about the situation: Luna was around the temple, fending down any elemental shadow that tried to exit. But the embodiment of the light couldn't control the mana flows around the temple and the darkness was threatening to escape from control.

Raine asked the two-headed bird about how Shadow was captured. Aska answered the elemental shadows used a trick they used one time before. It seemed the tribe of these type of shadows was one of the most troublesome. According to the Summon Spirit, this tribe was the first that Nebilim persuaded to join in Ara Tharu.

Aska told to them that shadows got impressed by how much Nebilim had mastered in the control of darkness and that he was even dominating another energies which could be formed from the darkness. Once the shadows felt that, they saw Nebilim as some type of powerful leader. One that could lead them to conquer the surface world.

Luckily, some darkness shadows didn't agree with what Nebilim proposed and saw the fact he possessed a powerful magic, which shouldn't be of knowledge to the light dwellers, as a proof that Nebilim was someone more dangerous than impressive.

It seemed some time ago, when Luna and the Summon Spirits of Sylvarant were sealed, the elemental shadows rose against Shadow and used a weapon they secretly developed to negate the dark entity's powers. That weapon was the lights they saw in the Temple of Darkness. Shadow won the battle with the help of the tribe's leader, but he got severely affected by the lights, what caused him to divide his power to compensate the lose of his mana.

Yuan was surprised that he and Mithos never got to know about this type of event inside the temple. Surely, a secret war of the spirits against a group of chaos beings wouldn't be something that could be easily hid. Aska explained that the other free Summon Spirits put a barrier around the temple when that happened to prevent Cruxis from discover it.

"So that lights were put there by these shadows and now they're using it again. Why didn't you remove that?", Presea asked.

"We tried, but we didn't know what was the process used to create them, nor what kind of power was used on it. The leader of the darkness shadows sent some of his researches to analyze it, but the structure of the tribe still too much revolt for us to get any concrete answer from them.", Aska explained.

Luna encountered them at the entrance. She seemed really agitated by being so close to the temple of her opposite element. Maybe it was also because the skies around the temple were clouded and there was almost none solar light, giving the impression that night had come sooner then it should.

The female Summon Spirit of light said she was trying her best to maintain the stabilization there, but it was almost impossible without Shadow to maintain the mana of darkness at check. The group acknowledge and said the would do everything to purify the crystal there and rescue Shadow. Luna and Aska thanked them.

Before Lloyd and his friends enter, Raine asked to the two illuminate entities a favor:

"Can you take care of Genis? He won't be able to use his spells due the change in the mana flows and he doesn't have any light spell in his repertoire."

Genis didn't protest by being left behind again. After all, Raine was right. Maybe he could help Luna and Aska with the shadows trying to exit from the area around the temple.

With all settled, Aska said to Genis mount on his back. The little half-elf did as he was asked. When Genis' friends entered the temple, he, Aska and Luna flew to the skies. The young warlock held on the glowing bird as they gained the highs.

"Hold on little one. The mana flows affect our powers and we might have some problems.", Luna warned Genis.

The young warlock whimpered as he was called of "little one" again. Luna noticed that and asked what was wrong. When Genis said he didn't like to be called like that, the embodiment of light said, confused:

"Strange... Celsius said she called thee like that."

- - - - -

Merilius arrived at time to see Luna and Aska taking flight to the clouded skies of the Temple of Darkness. He had arrived at the right time. Now he could catch up Lloyd and the others and tell them about Nebilim's plans to the crystals.

Jumping from the cliff where he reappeared, he ran to the temple. If any shadow tried to stop him, he could easily fend them down...

- - - - -

After lit the Blue Candle, Lloyd and his group stepped down to the deeps of the temple. At the way to the altar, they saw the lights that repelled Shadow's fragments weren't there anymore.

Raine was thinking on how that lights were made and how the chaos beings were maintaining Shadow captive. Probably they were using that lights. The party would have to think in a way to destroy the magical devices if it come down to it.

"We need to be cautious. If the darkness shadows are the most rebel type, then we may encounter an army bigger than in the other temples.", Regal stated his thoughts.

"Don't worry. If that's the case, I'll just use the Eternal Sword on them.", Lloyd affirmed, optimist.

Raine remembered him if he did that, he would probably drain good part of his mana, being incapable of fight after it and making him a good target. She made him to promise he would just use the Falcon's Crest as a last resource.

Lloyd agreed. He didn't have any intention of become tired in the middle of the fight. Also, if he made something as dangerous as that without a good motive, if the elemental shadows didn't kill him, then Sheena will.

After descend the long flights of stairs, they arrived at the altar. There they got an unexpected vision. The five lights, which previously were at the upper part of the temple, were now around the altar, which also had the crystal of the City of Darkness' barrier floating inside the strange cage that was formed by the lifted circle in the altar.

Before they could go and analyze the lights a great concentration of darkness appeared before the altar and a great shadow appeared. It was like the others: fang-like mouth, red, shinning, cruel eyes and body that seemed to be made of the element that the shadow lived under. From the sides of the shadow's face sprout four pairs of long, pointed spikes that first slightly pointed to up and at the middle curved slightly to down. The spikes had red strips on them.

"The great heroes of this world... it's a pleasure to finally meet you.", the shadow said in a strange, lightly booming voice, sounding like some type of fallen, otherworldly entity. He had the accent that was common to Fern'Zen. ."I'm Saul'Nor, the leader of this new force of elemental shadows of darkness. Though, I don't think it's as big as the army my bother, Kair'Nor, commands on Lord Nebilim's ranks."

Saul looked to them with a smirk in his face. The group had their weapons drawn, but in a blink of eyes several shadows materialized around the room, completely surrounding them.

Lloyd and his friends looked around. That force seemed bigger then the ones they previously fought against and they didn't know if there was more. Saul laugh low as he talked:

"I may warn you: it doesn't matter how many of us you slay. For each one of us you take down, ten will take its place."

"Hu, no problem. We already fought armies bigger then this.", Zelos taunted with a smile. It was partially true. They had fought against the tons of demons and angels that were on Derris-Kharlan when they went to recover the Great Seed.

"Oh, really? Then in this case...", Saul'Nor snapped his fingers. Five shadows appeared around Sheena, pointing their hands to the ground. A magic circle appeared under her. "You won't mind if I disable your friend summoner.", Saul then charged a magic. Another circle, identical to the one under Sheena, appeared under the elemental shadow as he proclaimed. "Mana Seal!"

Sparks of dark energy ran through Sheena's body. The summoner screamed in pain as the sparks seemed to draw strange runes in her hands, forehead and back. Lloyd ran to her, shouting:

"LEAVE HER ALONE!!!", the swordsman tried to slash at the shadows, but they quickly "dove" in the ground, disappearing from sigh.

Lloyd caught Sheena when she threatened of fall. The dark runes on her body glowed and disappear when she opened her eyes. Sheena then widened her eyes when she discovered what they did to her.

The female ninja then looked to her hands and her surrounds in shock. Worried, Lloyd asked what was wrong and received the answer of an horrified Sheena:

"I... I can't feel the mana around... I can't fell your mana... I can't... I can't control my mana anymore!", she said, looking to her love.

Lloyd also looked shocked, more than his friends that heard it. The Eternal Swordsman looked to Saul, anger written over all his face, as he heard the damned shadow laugh again.

"I sealed your control over the mana.", the leader of the renegade beings explained. "You probably never fought against a master in darkness magic before. Our element doesn't attack just our adversary's body, but also his mana."

"Then in this case we just have to destroy you to lift the seal!", Yuan spoke, his saber ready to strike.

"Oh, but this is exactly the detail here.", the head of the shadows said with a smile. "Attack!"

As Saul'Nor ordered, the shadows around him advanced...

- - - - -

Merilius arrived at the platform that gave access to the next level of the temple. He found strange there wasn't any barrier or shadows to try and stop him like in the other temples. But that doesn't matter. He had to reach Lloyd and the others and make sure everything would be alright.

However, before Merilius could reach the first flight of stairs, a wall of ice rose from the floor, blocking his path.

"What the...?"

"From here you won't pass.", an ethereal voice boomed in the room.

When Merilius turned, he saw a tall figure with a long robe, floating centimeters from the floor. When the figure approached, he gazed at a skeleton. Merilius' hand automatically went to his sword and he drew it. He hadn't expect to see that creature here.

"Khan'Tharu.", the Children of the Light whispered.

"We meet again Merilius, Son of the Light. As I said: I cannot let you pass. You shall not interfere."

"I thought you were inside the fortress with your master. Say, do you chickened out and ran away of the fortress before it emerged with the barrier?", Merilius asked.

Khan'Tharu produced a sound that Merilius thought would be an mumble. The magic swordsman smirked as he saw he provoked the Linch. He heard that the Linch was so loyal to his master that he couldn't stand anybody talking bad about Nebilim. It was a natural effect of the bounds between a Linch and its master.

Khan'Tharu seemed to recover his pose and spoke:

"I exited from there by Lord Nebilim's order. Don't try to insult my honor!"

"Sorry, but I can't see any honor in serve a psychotic, twisted elf.", one of Khan'Tharu's "eyes", flickered as Merilius spoke that. The light warrior knew it would be the Linch version to a twitch.

"You're as impudent as your ancestor by what it looks, but it ends here.", the Linch's hands glowed with an eerie, white light. "You won't interfere with my Lord's plans anymore!"

- - - - -

Lloyd slashed at what seemed the hundred elemental shadow. More came to the attack as he defended the incoming blows. Looking to his side, he saw Sheena was handling well against the shadows even without enchant her cards.

Lloyd cursed as he heard Raine exclaim as she received another cut. Saul'Nor was right. His army was one of the biggest they had fought against. The said shadow was near the crystal, leaning against one of the pillars, smiling like he was watching some spectacle.

At that moment, the Eternal Swordsman would give anything to inflict as much pain as he could on the elemental shadow. Lloyd knew he couldn't use the Eternal Sword now, they didn't know the size of that army. So, he could tire himself out by nothing.

Yuan attacked at such speed that he almost killed the shadows as fast as they appeared. He knew Saul was just tiring them out with all that fighting, but they couldn't stop of attacking. If they stopped, the shadows could overwhelm them.

Colette was trying to hit as much shadows as she could with all her projectiles, save by her chackrans, which she had fear if she threw, one of the shadows could take it and she would be weaponless. Colette again tried to call for that technique to control the mana of light on her, but she couldn't do it again.

They said the environment could affect the technique, since it also could use the mana in the air as a backup. But she needed to do something, or they would succumb to all that shadows. She and Raine were the ones with the most light spells in the group, but since the mana flows in the temple were changed she couldn't use those spells.

Zelos fought with any elemental attack he think could harm that shadows. He needed to help and defend his friends, otherwise they would lose to that wave of chaos creatures that was attacking them.

As the red headed defeated another shadow, Saul'Nor appeared in his front. The big shadow was smiling as he talked to him:

"I have a message from Lord Nebilim to you.", the shadow said to the Chosen One, who got surprised at that.

"Sorry. I don't talk to freaky Dark Lords.", Zelos said, trying to sound neutral. Saul smirked.

"Hu hu. I see what he said about you like to wear this mask.", Zelos gulped at that. The shadows weren't attacking him anymore, probably because it was ordered for them to let the head of the rebellion have that talk with Zelos.

Raine defended another attack from two shadows at the same time. Regal kicked one of the chaos creatures and Presea slashed at the other. The two were helping Raine since she hadn't much physical ability. The half-elf woman then saw that Saul wasn't observing them from his position.

While defending another blow of another dark shadow, which tried to hit her with an arm shaped into a razor-sharp blade, the healer searched for the leader of that attack, fearing that he could try and attack them while they were distracted. She located him, talking with Zelos.

The half-elven teacher got confused at that. What could that shadow be speaking to Zelos? Hitting her attacking opponent with her staff, Raine got close to the two, taking a distance where Saul didn't notice her.

"You know, we, beings that live under the element of darkness, can read the aura of the people and catch certain feelings. You, Zelos Wilder, have both doubt and confusion in your heart.", Raine heard the shadow speaking to Zelos, who strangely stopped and stood there, staring at the great chaos being. "I can see it. You're trying to change. To be nice to the friends that helped you so much, but you just achieved to hurt them, to make them to hate you."

Zelos' jaw dropped. Since when was Nebilim spying over him? Zelos shook his head. He couldn't let Nebilim to deceive him. To hypnotize him. He saw what Nebilim did to Presea and Colette.

"I already saw many people like you, Zelos Wilder. People that just brought unhappiness to those around and whose words harm them even if you don't have the intention to do so.", Saul was now sliding around Zelos. "Why make your friends suffer with your presence?"

A voice started to repeat Saul's words on Zelos' mind. Was that Nebilim's voice or the voice of his dark side, like happened with Colette? All he knew was that voice was speaking so high that his head was starting to ache and pain.

Colette, who flew trying to evade some shadows and discovered they could threw darkness magic and lances made of they their bodies on her, catch some of Saul's speech, when flew near to Zelos. She immediately got what the shadow was trying to do with that tone.

"This can have an end Zelos. Why fight if you will harm all of them after? They would be so much better if you're not around. Even the one that you thought you love left you because she didn't want someone like you.", Zelos knelled, clutching his head and shaking it, like he wanted to something get out of it. "Stop to fight. Stop this useless resistance. It's your destine to hurt those that you held..."

What Saul'Nor would say after that, he forgot when a very angry female half-elf stood in Zelos' front and swing her staff at him. The weapon hit the side of the shadow's main body and passed through it like it was water. Any damage that Raine achieved to do was erased in an instant.

The half-elven teacher stood in her stance, while Zelos stopped to shake his head and slowly looked to up. Saul smirked, like that interruption was nothing. The elemental shadow said:

"Lord Nebilim will maintain contact.", the shadow ended, at the time to see a white and golden blur come to him and punch him in the face.

Saul slided backwards as he held his face with his clawed hand. The blow had actually hurt him, but how? When he looked to his attacker, he saw that blond, angel girl of the group. Light was shining in her hands as she seemed some of angry.

But the anger he could read in her aura wasn't the one of hatred towards someone she didn't like. It was the one of somebody who was trying to protect his friends from someone that could hurt them. Her emotions was the desire to protect her friends and the love she had for them. After that, he couldn't see anything more.

Grumbling, the shadow adjusted itself on its position. He looked to her with pure hatred in his red shining eyes. None light bearer would win him.

"So the light bearer show its claws. Well, if you think you can best me angel girl, I invite you to try.", Saul said, staying ready to fight.

"I will, but first...", before the head of the rebellion could react, Colette flew to a crowd of elemental shadows nearby and hit the ground in the middle of them, creating a great explosion of light, which disintegrated the chaos beings.

Colette then started to hit shadow after shadow. Each blow killed the dark shadows instantly with the light it emanated. She passed flying by Lloyd and the others, who looked in awe to the girl as she flew like an arrow, piercing its targets.

At the end, she flew to the roof of the room again and shot the ground, at the middle of another crowd of elemental shadows that appeared. Hitting the ground, the girl caused another explosion of light, annihilating the shadows around.

The blond Chosen stood, her hands still glowing and wings flapping calmly. She looked like a true angel of judgment, ready to bring the light upon those who tried to bring destruction to the world. The vision was at least intimidating to enemies and hopeful to allies.

"My troops! You...", Saul roared, clutching his hands, which glowed with dark energies.

"Now it's your time. I won't let you make one of my friends pass by what I passed.", Colette said, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh, so the little _fallen_ angel wants to redeem herself for what she did to her friends?!", Saul'Nor provoked, referring to the moment Colette almost killed her friends by Nebilim's order. "What a corny scene. I think I need a tissue.", the shadow said sarcastically.

Colette didn't reply. She felt she couldn't let hate overtook her. She was doing that to protect her friends, not for revenge or to make up for something. She could feel someone talking that to her. The voice remembered her of Martel.

Maybe it was the goddess speaking inside her. She always thought that, even considering good part of their previous religion was based upon a lie, the teachings about search for peace in spirit and make your personal regeneration have some significance out of the context of Martel's cult.

Anyway, she knew what should be done and she flew to the shadow...

- - - - -

"I never thought you were the kind to interfere on the flow of the things. Are you certainly it was a good idea? You know you may have broken some rules.", a nine tailed fox entity spoke to another, green haired, one.

"It's because of it that I asked to Maxwell and Origin if it was permitted, and you of course. Thanks for your help Verius.", the green haired entity said while smiled to the great yellow fox.

"It was nothing. After all, my duty is to watch over the hearts in this land and that includes the pure ones. Though, if half of the things about this Nebilim is true, I would try to do something by myself.", the fox entity growled at speaking about the Dark Lord.

Origin and Maxwell were together with Martel and Verius to see how they would be doing to speak to Colette's heart and help her to access her power. They knew they were breaking some rules by doing that, but if they count the violations that were happening at that moment, then the elemental shadows were the ones that truly have broken the most of the rules.

When Martel caught the sudden change of the mana around the blond Chosen One, she immediately started to research about what just happened. She felt that Colette had manipulated the mana of light as good as one of Luna's children. When she discovered about the fight technique developed by the ancient Chosen Ones and how it could be accessed, she deduced Colette could only have accessed it by her heart and instincts.

The spirit of the Three then searched for Verius, the Watcher of the ones with hearts in that world, and asked to him about this possibility. Verius confirmed that Colette had such affection for her friends that when they got in danger she was capable of being as stubborn as Lloyd, by jumping at the front, and as resourceful as Sheena, with her summons, seals and techniques from her village. So there was a possibility that power inside her had awoke when she saw only her could protect them.

After that, Colette didn't achieve to call for that power anymore, due the changes in the mana flows, which difficult for her to gather the mana of light, but mainly because her heart wasn't reacting to her call, for she didn't have the right feeling at the time.

Now that the things got really bad at the Temple of Darkness, with the capture of Shadow, Lloyd's group would need all the help they could get. She decided to ask Verius to help her to speak to Colette's heart and help the girl to find the feeling that would make her heart to access the power of light that was inside her. It seemed that, after all, Colette didn't really need the mana flows to perform that technique.

"She'll do good now for her own. I'm sure she already guessed what is that helps her to reach this new power.", Verius stated. "Say, is that true Nebilim in the past used people's hearts to control them?"

"Unfortunately, yes.", Maxwell answered. "Nebilim knew how to reach the heart of his enemies and could torture them with any feeling he found accessible. He used even the love people have for their families and loved ones to maintain them under his control. He had so many ways to use people that not even us thought were possible.", the old looking entity sighed as he remembered those dark times. Times of sorrow, death and fear.

Verius was surprised and, at the same time, fearful and then he felt angry. He never thought he could get angry at someone, for the most darker his heart could be, but apparently Nebilim was an exception to the rule. The other Summon Spirits told him that they once also got to the point of hate the Dark Lord for what he did even to them.

"When I sensed a strange energy at work, I tried to search its source and I found it at the Devil's Arms that hold Nebilim's soul.", the Watcher of the hearts told. The other entities present looked to him. "When I found his soul, I tried to look into it and I almost collapsed by doing so. If there was any trace of elven in him, it was erased after he was sealed. His heart is now just a concentration of hatred, anger, lust for power and will to control everything. I also sensed another thing inside it, but it was when my power started to fail. Whatever it is, it noticed I was watching Nebilim's heart."

"We already sensed there was something wrong with him. The way his soul got twisted... it couldn't have happened even considering all the evil he done or the more access to the forbidden arts he could have.", Origin spoke. "It seems Nebilim found something over his experiences with the Forbidden Book that attached to his soul and twisted it in the way it is now."

"I also sensed other thing while I analyzed him, though, I think you may already know of it...", Verius told, again attracting the attention of the guardian spirits reunited there. "I didn't see any drop of regret on him..."

- - - - -

Colette's and Saul'Nor's fists encountered each other as the two clashed their energies one against other. Colette attacked with great strength, which Saul answered equally. The shadow then held Colette's hands as the girl tried to push him back and he tried to do the same. They seemed to be matching forces.

Lloyd and the others could just watch as the two warriors of opposite elements fought. The blond angel seemed to be dealing quite well against the head of the rebellion. They then decided it was best they purify the crystal and search for Shadow while Colette was maintaining Saul occupied.

The heroes fended down the last of the rebel shadows left and went to the altar. Raine helped Zelos to stand, the red headed angel was trembling from top to the bottom. She could just imagine how it was to have something trying to possess you.

Asking if the Chosen was all right, Raine helped him to go to the altar as he answered:

"My head still buzzing... man, having the voice of a freaky elf in your head isn't a pleasure thing."

"It's alright now. Nebilim won't possess you so soon while we're around.", Raine assured to Zelos, who murmured a "thank you".

As the two arrived at the altar, Lloyd was looking around the structure. He wasn't finding anything out of the usual that could indicate where Shadow could be.

"This is useless! There's nothing here, aside the crystal and these lights.", Lloyd sighed.

"The lights... Lights! Lloyd, you're a genius!", Raine exclaimed as Zelos now stood without her support.

"Really? How?", Lloyd asked.

Sheena sighed, Yuan put the hand on his forehead as he shook the head. Even when being complimenting, Lloyd could be completely oblivious to the things. Raine ignored the boy's question and turned to explain to the others:

"These light were made to react against Shadow's power. Shadow couldn't touch on them and Luna said he was captured by the elemental shadows with the help of these devices."

"Wait. Are you suggesting that Shadow is...", Yuan interjected. Raine nodded and completed.

"Yes, he's inside the lights. We have to destroy them to release Shadow as soon as I purify the crystal."

The group then thought in how they could destroy those things if even the Summon Spirits didn't find a way to do it. Presea suggested she could try and use her strength to break it, but Raine said it could be dangerous since they didn't know how it could affect Shadow's parts inside the lights. Lloyd then came with an idea:

"I could use the Eternal Sword to advance the time around the lights so they would rust and break. Shadow probably won't be affected by time, because he's a spirit he's a spirit."

"That's actually an excellent plan. And what did you do to the real Lloyd?", Yuan commented, drawing an "hey!" from Lloyd.

"Are you sure you can do it Lloyd? You never tried to use the sword to transcend time before.", Sheena asked worried. Lloyd replied using one of the Dwarven Vows: You can do anything if you try.

Sensing the boy wouldn't turn back in his decision, Raine prepared the spell and casted it on the crystal. The following lights, attracted Saul'Nor's attention, but before he could realize what just happened, Colette used that moment of distraction to use Triple Ray Satellite on the shadow. The attack enchanted with light hit the shadow dead on, making him to turn the attention to the battle.

Extending one arm against the blond angel, Saul tried to catch her, but she flew out of his reach. The elemental shadow tried to catch the flying girl more times while Lloyd was already uniting his Material Blades to create the Eternal Sword.

Swinging the massive blade, Lloyd cut the air in the horizontal, concentrating in the lights. The others then felt a change in the air around the lights. The mana was being changed in a really quick way around the lights, affecting them.

The metal that composed the strange devices started to rust at incredible speed, like thousands of years were passing just in seconds. In a blink of eyes, the lights fell in pieces and a strange black matter shot out of the wreckages.

Saul breathed darkness on Colette, who used Damage Guard. The defensive technique was also enchanted by her technique of control the mana of light, providing more protection against the attack. When the darkness passed, Colette saw another shadow materializing at the front of Saul, but this one was familiar.

The head of the rebellion's jaw fell as he saw the one he captured spoke:

"Hello..."


	35. Light and Darkness

I know this chapter may be a little rushy, but it was to match with the mood inside it and I didn't think I should delay the things.

Stay tunned people! We're almost ending this part of the fic. By my calculations, just two more chapters and we can go to the next part, one of the last of the fic. Hold on your chairs for we'll have more fights and some big twists and revelations at the final of this part.

**

* * *

Chapter 35**

**Light and Darkness**

Khan'Tharu threw another frost bolt at Merilius, which he defended perfectly with his Runeblade. The battle between the two had started some time before and until now, just Merilius achieved to land some blows on Khan'Tharu, but they were just scratches to the Linch.

The Children of the Light found the battle quite equilibrated. The Linch was quite cunning in his attacks and strategies. His ice and Linch's magics were really dangerous, but Merilius defended and avoided them all. The cursed creature also defended each one of Merilius' attacks, using just his bony hands or even conjuring a ice shield, which soon disappeared when the Linch was a bout to attack attacked.

Then the magic swordsman felt a change in mana flows of the temple. Khan'Tharu also noticed and the two stopped their fight. The levels of mana of darkness were lower than before. Lloyd and his group succeed in purify the crystal, but Merilius didn't know if it could be considered a good thing, with all that he discovered.

Khan'Tharu knew that soon Saul'Nor would fall and the Summon Spirits would notice his presence there. He didn't have time to lose, so he charged one of his strongest ice magics. One that was casted using also the arts of manipulating the energies used by the demons.

"Arctic Winds!", the Linch pronounced.

Several stalagmites of ice with pointy crystals rose from the ground around Merilius. Strong winds started to blew in spirals around these icy formation and soon some of the iceberg's parts started to being carried by the winds, which formed several cyclones in the room.

Merilius widened his eyes as the big shards of ice were crashing around him. He had heard Khan'Tharu's powers were great, but he never imagined that the Linch could cast such type of spell. Jumping and running, Merilius avoided the falling crystals and wind blades, also full of sharp icy fragments. He jumped even in the flying ice fragments.

When the spell ceased, Merilius landed and looked to the room, several craters and fell ice shards decorated the scenery. In the mess, he lost the sight of the Linch. Looking for Nebilim's loyal magician, Merilius felt a presence behind him and when he turned, a skeletal hand grabbed his throat.

"You come with me.", As Khan'Tharu spoke another stalagmite started to form with cold winds surrounding it. This one, under their feet, enclosing the two...

- - - - -

Shadow saw the fear in Saul'Nor's eyes, now that he didn't have the lights or the crystal to help him. Lloyd and his friends were at the stairs of the altar and seemed to stay there just to observe, as they did in the other temples.

Colette flew from Shadow's back and looked to him. The dark entity hissed:

"He... my... matter...", Colette nodded at Shadow's short speech. Her friends were safe now and she didn't have any motive to fight with Saul.

At that thought, the glow on the blond girl's hands faded. Colette then finally realized what just happened for her to access that power. She flew back to Lloyd and the others, leaving Shadow to deal with the rebel chaos creature.

Saul didn't see how he could scape of that situation. Shadow could easily nullify his powers on the temple and he was certainly the leader of his tribe wouldn't be glad to receive someone that he considered a traitor.

The leader. Just remember of that fool made Saul'Nor grind his teeth. The leader of the elemental shadow of darkness' tribe always came with a babble about equilibrium of the elements and respect for the light dwellers. Saul thought different, like others in the tribe. Why should they stay living in the Dark Abyss if they could easily take over the surface world, where there was plenty of mana?

Lord Nebilim was the one that comprehend that thought. He understood their desires, it was because of that many shadows, including Saul's brother, allied to Ara Tharu, the glorious secret society commanded by Nebilim, which latter would be known all over the world.

"Why do you stay against me, Shadow?", Saul asked to the embodiment of darkness itself. "We should be working together to blot out the light that harm us. Why do you stay like this, without do anything for us that are just like you, beings that live in the shadows, away from the light?"

"Fool...", Shadow mumbled, a tint of anger in his voice. "Darkness... exists... equilibrate all... if absolute... if... without light... no limits... none order... chaos and destruction come..."

Although Lloyd and his group had to repeat mentally Shadow's words to understand all that the guardian spirit meant, they understood the general message and they would have to agree with Shadow.

If there wasn't darkness, then they would never knew what was light like. If there wasn't darkness inside their hearts, they would never knew how to recognize a selfish, bad feeling from a virtuous, good one. Regal and Yuan stated this observation to the group, which nodded. It was the truth, they couldn't deny it. But Saul, obviously, wasn't capable of see it.

"What are you talking about? We are the elemental shadows of the darkness. We know how to deal with chaos energies..."

"Not chaos... you know... original Chaos... of the beginning... chaos you use... changed by mana... original... can't dominate... can't control... cause destruction...", Shadow interrupted, now using more words at each stop he made to give emphasis to his speech.

The heroes didn't understand what Shadow mean by two different Chaos, but they decided that maybe it was another subject that wasn't for them to know. Maybe the Summon Spirit was talking about destruction itself or something that could cause it. Anyway, Shadow seemed too serious when he talked about it. It seemed it was something that could really cause a lot of trouble to the world.

"So is it what you think of us? That we can't control the energy that was our birthright?!", Saul'Nor exclaimed, seeming angry at the entity.

"Foolish... deal with... cannot understand... light... isn't cruel... light... bring equilibrium... to us..."

"It's right.", another voice came from behind the head of the rebellion. Turning Saul saw Luna at his front. She seemed angry. "We don't covet the destruction of each other. I am the light and I speak this because its not my goal to destroy my opposite. Without him, light would also be without limits and it would turn useless without darkness to maintain it alive. And if we turn absolute, there wouldn't be any order either."

Before Saul could reply, another entity came. A glowing bird appeared at his side with a boy descending from its back and going to the group of heroes reunited at the altar. Aska spoke:

"You shouldn't have tried to mess with the order when you don't understand the basis of the equilibrium. There must be opposites to regulate each other, that is a law. And like you tried to break this law, you will now be punished!"

The three attacked at the same time. Saul was too much startled to defend at the right time and received the blows of the two different elements. Luna hit him with her staff and made several rays of light feel upon the rebel shadow. Aska cut the shadow with his talons, hit with his two beaks and flapped his wings, sending several balls of light against the dark shadow. Shadow hit Saul shaping his hands into several weapons, like arrows, ax and a sword's blade.

The energies in the blows sparked by all over Saul's body. The elemental shadow tried to hit them by also shaping his hands into blades, but Shadow easily catch the shaped arms and Luna and Aska defended from it with none difficulty at all.

Lloyd's friends watch as Saul'Nor was overpowered by the three guardian entities in a matter of seconds. Any attack that Saul tried to do on Luna, she defended or Shadow defended, by going in her front and taking the attack. The most powerful spells and attacks made the spirit of darkness incline his body backwards, but he soon inclined it back to an erect position, like he was playing the Limbo.

"Well, I wouldn't say he doesn't deserve it. He revolts because of something he don't even know well. Serves him right.", Yuan commented, and turned to Colette. "Speaking about it, you did a good job handling against this creep. I must say that I'm impressed."

"Thanks Yuan!", Colette said, smiling happily. "And you know what, I discovered how I can use this technique.", the group turned the attention to her. "It is because I want to protect you all, because of when I saw I had to do something to protect my friends. So I feel like my heart calls something to help me and I feel this power and that I can control it like I want."

"Ha! It only could be something like this. It's just like you to draw some kind of awesome power by your heart.", Zelos spoke. "I imagine if I also could do it. Hum, what kind of feeling would awake this power on me?"

Before Zelos' mind could start to work, what in Sheena's opinion meant a pile of stupidness was about to come, Yuan interfered, saying:

"I sorry have to destroy your dreams, Chosen One, but I doubt you would be capable of perform this technique. All the Chosens that were capable of do it had affinity with just one specific element and this element was the one whose mana they could control. We tried to train this with other Chosens with a general knowledge and affinity with several elements, but it happens that the control was equally distributed between the different elements. They didn't have a special control on a specific one, so they weren't capable of use this technique.", Zelos pouted, sighing. He could almost imagine himself showing his ability to control the mana of an element to his "hunnies".

From her place, Raine looked to Zelos and sighed. She could guess what kind of thinks were passing through the red headed pervert's mind. That made she think again if he could really change sufficiently to have an proper relationship with someone.

_Wait! Why am I thinking on this? It's not my matter if he'll change or not._, Raine scolded herself. _And it's not like he's really interested in me. Well, not beyond my appearance and body at least._, she reassured mentally.

Zelos noticed Raine's glance and looked to her while the others turned their attention back to the battle. The half-elven woman saw that and quickly turned her head to the match before them, making Zelos thought he just imagined things.

One people, though, was paying attention at the fight and at Zelos and Raine, at the same time. When Sheena looked to Raine's expression and the way she glanced back to the fight when Zelos looked to her, she started to think on what all of that could really mean. Maybe she would investigate that latter. At least it could prove to be quite fun.

When everybody was with their attention back on the match it was already on its end. Saul'Nor was with his hands on the ground and seemed to be panting by have been hit so many times by energies that corrupted the ones that held the matter on his body together.

Luna was at the front of the elemental shadow and Aska was on its back. The female embodiment of the light was floating inches away from Shadow, who also was on Saul's front. The chaos being looked to them with an angry face, the matter on his body was starting to fall, turning into some kind of black fog.

"You may destroy me... but my brother will avenge me... and Lord Nebilim will brought the true order... to this world...", Saul said, between large breathes.

"Your Lord and brother didn't defeat us in the past and we don't have the intention to let them do so now. They were defeated by the heroes who lived in that time and, again, they shall fall by the hands of the new generation of heroes.", Aska pronounced in a solemn tone, like he was stating the future.

"Evil... shall fall... Nebilim... won't win...", Shadow hissed.

Luna then pointed her staff to Saul'Nor and on its point a big, bright ball of light appeared. Aska also pointed his two wings to the chaos being and on it appeared another light ball, identical to the one that Luna had. Lloyd's group knew what attack was that.

"Light Embrace!", Luna and Aska shout at the same time, letting the balls flew to Saul.

The familiar yellow runes appeared under Saul'Nor, who didn't have any strength to scape, and the balls of light collided, creating a great pillar of light. The elemental shadow let out a roar of pain. Shadow melted in the ground and transformed into two lines of shadow, circulating the base of the pillar of light. Then another pillar, this one of dark lights, rose from the ground, enveloping the first.

After some moments, both pillars faded and none signal of Saul was visible. Shadow turned back to his habitual form as Lloyd and the others stood and came to then, congratulating the two for the incredible performance in that battle.

Aska and Shadow thanked them, but Luna was looking to upwards, to the upper levels of the temple. Noticing that, Presea asked why she was like that, attracting the attention of the rest of the group and the other spirits.

"I don't know... but I thought I just felt my child's presence...", she said, sounding worried.

When the spirits dismissed them, going back to their work to repair the mana flows, doubt was on the mind of party. Luna certainly wouldn't make a mistake in that matter. But if Merilius really was in the temple, why didn't he showed up to them as they climbed to the exit?

- - - - -

In an island, at Balacruf's coast, a strange ice Stalagmite appeared in the air and exploded, letting fall a swordsman half-elf dressed in a marine-blue and white shirt in the sand. Merilius quickly stood and looked to the floating Linch above him.

"I could just end with your life, but now it's not the right moment. Be glad for Lord Nebilim decided to spare your pitiful life.", Khan'Tharu said in his ethereal voice. "But stay in our way, and you and the other of your kind shall be purged from this world, ending with your filthy lineage."

Merilius was ready to throw a reply, when one of the cursed creature's phrase struck him. Did he hear it right?

"'I and the other of my kind'? What do you mean? I'm the last of my family!", Merilius spoke.

"So, you still didn't find it out yet? Hu, your ancestor, Vallor, may be a blind fool to the great truth, but he at least was smart. A quality that you didn't seem to have.", without any other word, Khan'Tharu made another ice Stalagmite enclose him and disappeared.

The Children of the Light stayed in his place, thinking on what the Linch had just said. Could it be another of Nebilim's trick? Merilius didn't see how Nebilim could think that a new about one surviving member of his family would be something that would stop him. No, definitely it wasn't a trick.

But if that was true, then who was his other relative that still alive. Merilius tried to think on someone that could have had a chance to survive Nebilim's curse. Someone that had the chance to escape from death.

An image from a rainy night on a forest immediately jumped on Merilius' head. He knew a member of his family that disappeared and he never found or heard of again. Amile. His baby cousin. If there was someone of his family that could be alive, it must be her. But where could she be. Another memory then came to Merilius. One from a moment of doubt that he had.

_Then... she is... of course! She never get to know her parents and was found when she was just a baby!_, Merilius thought. Then another problem came: how would he tell her who she really was?

Before Merilius could think more on that another thought clicked on him. He had a mission to accomplish. Damn, he almost forgot that! He had to run to the Temple of Lightning and encounter Lloyd and the others there to tell them about the crystals and Nebilim's plans. He could deal with the subject of Amile latter, now he had his duty to take care of.

Sheathing his sword, Merilius murmured some words and a yellow aura glowed around him. In an instant, the magic swordsman disappeared in a flash, going to the continent, so he could know to which direction was the temple of Volt...

- - - - -

The heroes of the worlds arrived at the entrance of the Temple of Lightning. They wanted to end with that as soon as possible. Then, after one night of rest from all the fight in the Temple of Darkness, they boarded the Rheairds and went to the temple of Volt.

The member with elven blood in the group could feel that the mana flows around the temple were almost out of control with the overload of mana of lightning. Another motive for them to end with that soon.

Volt was near the entrance, which strangely seemed more peaceful than in the other temples. None corpse or change in the mana, save by the one that was already made, could be sense, which indicated the elemental shadows hadn't tried to attack the area around the great tower.

"...", Volt spoke to them in his language. Raine translated it, saying that Volt asked them to hurry because soon the mana flows would be so overwhelmed that it could rip the stability in that local and destroy anything that wasn't made out of mana of lightning.

Lloyd and the others just nodded as they entered. Genis, already knowing that he couldn't help, stayed out with the electrical entity at his side. The young warlock could sense that the mana of lightning was so strong there that it was almost as it was trying to take him. Luckily, Volt was doing his best to change the mana around him and maintain the stability as much as he could and that brought some comfort to Genis.

The party climbed the stairs without any problem, save by the few traps they had to pass. They already drew their weapons in the case that the elemental shadows appeared at the altar, just like in the Temple of Earth and in the Temple of Darkness. They also decided that Colette and the others that could attack at long range would deal with the head shadow as the others purified the crystal, ending with this problem once for all.

When they arrived at the room with the stairs that gave access to the altar, they saw none signal of the elemental shadows. All that there was in the room was some parts of what seemed to be a big, silver metal armor, laying in the ground.

When they tried to place a foot on the stairs, lightning fell from the roof just where they were about to stand if they hadn't stopped. Looking around, the group saw the pieces of armor were being lift from the ground by several electrical flows that connected them to the ground. Lloyd and his friends then realized it.

The parts of the armor shot to the center of the chamber and started to combine, forming a complete upper armor with many drawings on a dull gray, shoulder protectors with three pointy spikes and an helm. The spaces where the body of the wearer should be were quickly filled with several electrical sparks, which soon formed an being that seemed much like his other brethren, but made out of pure electricity.

"The lightning lives.", the creature said in a crack like voice that was accompanied by the sound of sparks. The accent of the elemental shadows was almost imperceptible to anyone that didn't know it, due the sparks that crackled at each word the shadow spoke. "I'm called Naum'Kir. And you won't stop me from turning this land into a great conductor to me and my brothers. We have Lord Nebilim's support on our side."

"That support didn't save your companions and it won't save you!", Lloyd said, Material Blades at hand and in a battle stance.

"You won't do what you want with this world, for we shall not allow it.", Regal said. "You're just causing destruction and disrupting the equilibrium of the elements."

The shadow gave what seemed to be a laugh. The image of his face flickered as he seemed to smile. It was difficult to say what was the shadow's expression, due all his body was just a mass of running electricity. The yellow eyes were the only thing that indicated the shadow had a face.

Closing his gaze upon them again, the elemental shadow spoke, sparks crackling at his speech:

"How funny. You humans always like to say these pretty words, but end up doing exactly what you call destruction."

"Not all the humans are the same.", Yuan said. The group looked to him with surprise, it was actually the first time they heard him say something like that. "There's good humans and there's good people in the surface, but you seem to have forget it."

"Then let's see who's right.", at this last statement the shadow stretched his hands and lightning rays shot from them.

Lloyd and his friends jumped to the side and prepared to combat the last of that rebellion...


	36. Water and Lightning

Now the things will get interesting in here. Did you people thought that a bunch of shadows messing up with the mana of the world was bad enought? Then allow me to say that you saw nothing compared to what is about to come!

First, thanks for the readers that added my fic to their favorite lists! It's good to see that I actually can make fics in english as good as any people that have it as first language. Let's now get the disclaimer to just make sure:

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lloyd and his friends, the Summon Spirits or any known place of ToS world. I just own Ara Tharu (with exception of it's leader), the freaky Linch Khan'Tharu, the elemental shadows, Merilius and some other characters.

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Chapter 36**

**Water and Lightning**

Lightning and thunder rained upon Lloyd and his friends as the battle against the last of the heads of the revolts proceed. Naum'Kir was proving to be a quite challenge. When Zelos tried to slash at the body of the shadow, he was violently repelled by a strong shock. The electrical current ran through the red headed Chosen's sword to hit him. Luckily, Raine cured him before he went unconscious due the might of the shock.

Regal tried to hit the armor when he saw what just happened to his friend, but he soon discovered the armor was also charged with the energy that ran in the elemental shadow. Bolts of electricity flew, aiming the members of the party. They jumped to avoid the attacks and hid behind the pillars and stair flights around.

Sheena tried to enchant the group's weapons, since the seal on her mana was finally dispelled after Saul'Nor's death, but sparks of lightning in the air near her, made she think twice about it. It seemed the mana in the temple was critically changed, for it even try to attack them when they tried to use a different element's technique.

Colette attacked at long range, already with her hands and feet enchanted by the light manipulation technique. Since she saw how her friends were easily deflected by Naum's body, she again found the feeling that she had to defend them from the electrical, chaos being.

The blond angel threw an enchanted chackran at Naum while Regal, Zelos and the others regrouped at the stairs near the room's entrance. The elemental shadow moved his shoulder protector by his arm until it was at his front and blocked Colette's attack without suffer any damage. The girl looked surprised. The elemental shadow laugh at her with its crackling voice before spoke:

"Do you think I wear this armor for fashion? This armor was specially made to use against light bearers such as you.", at the end of his phrase, Naum charged a spell and casted it at Colette quicker than any good spell caster would be capable. The girl just used Damage Guard when lightnings started to fell upon her. "Thunder Arrow!"

Colette achieved to defend from the magic, but as soon as the green, bubbled-shaped shield disappeared, Naum threw rays of lightning from his hands at her. The angel screamed in pain as currents of incalculable forces ran through all her body, when Naum ceased the attack, Colette fell to the ground, still conscious, but was struggling to move due all her muscles were almost paralyzed.

Raine, who had tried to go to the crystal while Colette distracted the powerful shadow, stopped and looked in time to see the girl falling. In an automatic gesture, Raine screamed Colette's name as she saw the elemental shadow preparing to give what could be the final blow, and that attracted the attention of the lightning creature.

Raine put her hands on the mouth, but it was too late, Naum'Kir already saw her and shout:

"Hey you! Get out of there!", the shadow charged his hand and threw a bolt bigger than an adult man at Raine, who tried to run, but was too slow to avoid.

When the great ball of electricity was near its target, Zelos flew at Raine and rescued her at the last instant. Though, the Chosen One didn't have time to be thanked, for Naum started to threw more electrical charges at him. Zelos avoided them with aerial acrobatics, which made Raine felt sick, she wasn't used to fly.

The elemental shadow got tired of that and charged another spell. When he casted, lightnings fell around him, forming a circle, more lightnings fell, making the circle to expand until it hit Zelos and Rained, making the two to fall.

Before Naum could reach the two, several rocks were thrown at him. The projectiles made the shadow's body spark madly when them hit it. Another wave of rocks was thrown, this one aiming the armor. The chaos being looked to the pink haired girl who threw the rocks on him.

Presea was with her Gaia Cleaver in a battle stance, ready for the case of the shadow to attack. The girl had a determinate look on the face, which indicated she would fight even if she couldn't touch the elemental shadow.

"Get away of my friends.", the ax wielder said in a low dangerous voice.

The lumberjack girl then jumped and hit the ground with all her strength. A shock wave formed, launching rocks around the girl. Naum defended the attack in the same way he defended Colette's one. Presea slashed the ground again, now sending a single, big, hard rock to the elemental shadow at great speed.

The chaos being defended this attack with his shoulder protector again, but this time he felt an strong impact and the sound of metal being broken. When he looked to his should protector, he saw it was crumpled and the spikes had fallen. Naum'Kir glanced at Presea, she seemed just another weak, little girl, but the force which she launched that rock at him proved otherwise.

"You'll pay for this.", the electrical being said, throwing a ball of electricity at her.

Presea thrust the edge of her ax in the ground and positioned it to receive the attack. When the ball hit her weapon it was absorbed by the ax and dissipated in the ground. Naum looked to her, surprised by that action. That girl was smarter than he thought.

"She used her ax as a lightning rod to dissipate the energy of the attack. That was a good move.", Regal said, smiling at Presea's strategy while he, Sheena and Lloyd helped Raine and Zelos.

"I bet if Genis was here, he would be jumping and cheering Presea up. This is, if he didn't stutter trying to do it.", Sheena commented, holding a giggle.

By that time, Colette already stood, supported by Yuan. She watched as Presea dealt with the shadow and got impressed. The armor of Naum also seemed to be very damaged. The blond angel then thanked Yuan and flew to Presea.

"Do you think you can destroy that armor?", the Chosen One asked, receiving just a nod from the ax wielder girl. "Ok, then let's defeat him together!"

"Roger!", Presea said, taking her weapon from the ground and preparing to attack the head of that rebellion.

- - - - -

Merilius arrived almost tired at the entrance of the tower that was the Temple of Lightning. At there, he saw Genis with Volt at his side, who seemed to be trying to maintain the stability of the mana flows around there.

As the Children of the Light approached, Genis noticed his presence and turned to see him, stopping at his front. Genis got a lot surprised to see Merilius in that way. Before the boy could greet him, the magic swordsman asked, trying to recover his breath:

"Where's... Lloyd and the others?"

"They entered in the temple. Why...", Genis tried to ask, but Merilius interrupted.

"We have to reach them. I discovered Nebilim was spying you all this time and want you to purify the crystals."

Genis' eyes widened, but not as much as Volt's. Merilius then asked for Genis to take him to the altar, but before the boy could nod, Volt shot the temple without wait for an answer. The two went after the flying, electrical entity.

At the first room they were surrounded by a group of purple elemental shadow, which seemed to be made out of electricity. Volt looked to that beings angrily while Genis and Merilius drew their weapons.

"What are they doing here? I thought they would be at the altar defending the crystal.", Genis thought out of loud.

"They're probably being controlled by Nebilim or Khan'Tharu. I don't know and this doesn't matter, we have to pass through them to reach the others!", Merilius hurried him while ran to the shadows and called the power of light inside his blade.

When Merilius' Runeblade started to glow, he got electrocuted by the air of the temple itself. The magic swordsman knelled and his sword turned back to normal. Seeing that, Volt went to the attack, striking as much shadows as he could with his energies.

Genis went to Merilius and asked to him what happened. After hear a curse from the adult half-elf, he heard the Children of the Light said:

"The mana around the temple is so charged that it reacts against any different elemental mana that enters in its territory. I should have known it."

Standing, Merilius instructed Genis to only use his lightning magics. The boy was about to reply when he heard Volt saying something. Genis didn't understand what the entity said and Merilius had to translate, saying that Volt was enchanting the mana around him to corrupt the chaos energies of the elemental shadows.

"In another words, stay near Volt and cast as much spells as you can!", Merilius urged Genis, slashing at a shadow that attacked him. Thanks to the enchantments on his Runeblade, Merilius wasn't electrocuted by the feedback of the shadow's energy.

"It'll be a pleasure.", Genis said, running to Volt and charging a powerful spell...

- - - - -

Raine was discreetly climbing the stairs while Presea and Colette were battling against Naum'Kir. The two girls were a good duo, they had to admit. While Presea hit Naum with great and hard rocks, making him to almost lose the equilibrium, Colette launched her chackrans at the elemental shadow. The combined attacks passed through the electrical shadow's armor and damaged him.

Naum tried to counter attack, but Colette easily avoided his attacks by flying and Presea thrust her ax in the ground again, using it as a lightning conductor. The elemental shadow was already getting annoyed at that.

"It was fun to play with you. But now it's the time for me to end this!", Naum spoke, with a tint of menace in his voice.

The head of the rebellion crossed his arms at his chest and, when he extended them to the sides, sent strong electrical currents through floor of the entire room, catching all the members of the party that wasn't in the air .

Screams of agony and pain were heard as the electrocuted heroes started to knell while electricity ran through their bodies. Presea now couldn't use that strategy anymore since it was the ground itself that was conducting the attack to her.

Colette almost got desperate at that. She tried to attack Naum, but the elemental shadow used what was left of his armor to block her attempts, it seemed he could use that attack and, at the same time, defend himself. She knew she couldn't touch on them without got electrocuted together. She was now really without any idea of what she could do.

"Idiots! I'm one with the lightning and this building is nothing, but a great conductor to me.", the shadow spoke, the sparks in his voice combining with the sound of the electricity harming Colette's friends.

Yuan then stood. The electrical current wasn't affecting him as much as the others, but it still making him to feel pain. However, he wouldn't let Lloyd and the others die. He wouldn't let anybody die on him anymore.

Though the proud Seraphim didn't admit it, he considered Lloyd and the others as his friends. They helped him to accomplish his mission against Mithos, helped him to gave Martel her eternal rest and made her to reborn as the guardian entity of the Mana Tree. They were heroes and, at Renegades' leader's point of view, their lives were more precious then Yuan's own.

With that in mind, Yuan thrust his sword in the ground and started to absorb all the electricity running in the ground. He had great affinity with the element of lightning and that made him almost immune to that type of magic. But that shadow's lightning magic was different of the type that people on the surface used, even if they were some of similar. He couldn't absorb it without feel pain.

The others felt the shook on them diminish, almost disappearing. They then looked to Yuan and saw that he was absorbing the electricity in the ground. Naum also noticed that and smirked.

"So, you have a Master of Thunder in your group... do you think you can hold my energy light dweller? Well, let's see how you deal with it when I rise the voltage.", saying that, Naum intensified the charge of the current, concentrating it one Yuan, who now screamed of pain as the electricity tried to overwhelm him.

"I... won't... let... you... kill... them... even... if... it... means... I'll... have... to... die... to... destroy.... you...!", Yuan said. The pain and the strong current making him to pause at each word.

"Yuan!!! Stop this, you idiot!!!", Lloyd shout. He couldn't let Yuan kill himself doing that, he simply couldn't. Wasn't him the one that said he wouldn't let anybody be sacrificed anymore?

Looking to that, definitely made the group went on despair. The only way to help Yuan was to attack Naum and broke his concentration, but the only way to do that without got electrocuted was with magic and the mana flow was changed for them couldn't use any element that could harm the elemental shadow.

It was then that, seeing he didn't have another choice, Regal decided to use something that he didn't use by a great deal of time. The last time he used that was when he saved Lloyd and the others from the prisons in Welgaia. That time he made that to save his friends and this time it wouldn't be different. Besides, he was sure that attack wouldn't kill Naum. Maybe shatter his body, but definitely wouldn't kill the chaos being, since he could regenerate himself.

Regal stood, remaining calm, trying to concentrate and find his inner strength. He still remembered the lessons of his tutors in martial arts and he remembered they once said that technique could also have its strength increased if he put some of his mana on it. The President was sure that shadow wouldn't go down if he used just the normal power of the technique. Like Presea and Colette demonstrated, it was necessary a great force to pass the armor and damage Naum.

Uniting his two hands, Regal concentrated in transfer all the mana he could borrow on that attack. He never tried to do that before, his tutors said it was too powerful to be used in a normal fight. That certainly wasn't a normal fight and he was sure he was doing the right thing. When the energy started to shine brightly on his two palms, Regal released the attack.

A great beam of energy flew against Naum'Kir, who widened his eyes on seeing the attack was as big as his head. When the beam hit, it initially slided through his body, pushing him backwards and making him to lose his concentration and stop the attack on Yuan. The beam then exploded on Naum, enveloping all the chaos being's body and making his armor parts flew to everywhere at great speed.

A roar came when the beam exploded. As the smoke dissipated, Naum wasn't visible anymore. Regal, sweating and panting, smiled as he saw Yuan knelling and also panting. He saved him. He could have technically broke again his promise and used his hands in battle, but he used them to save the life of one of his friends.

Lloyd and the others snapped back to reality when Regal fell. They got totally struck when they saw that attack and even more when they looked to regal and saw that he launched it with his hands.

Even after ending their journey, Regal never used his hands in battle again. He said he didn't like to, that he got used to fight with his feet, but they knew it was because Regal didn't like to remember that he once used that hands to kill Alicia, his love.

Sheena, Colette and Zelos went to help Yuan while the others helped Regal. Raine almost descended to help them, but Sheena stopped her, shouting:

"Go and purify that crystal!"

Raine stopped and nodded, going to the altar, where the crystal was floating. The half-elven teacher started to charge the enchantment:

"Forces of the world, protectors of the equilibrium... give me your aid to end with this evil that brings destruction! Peace Song!", as the armor's parts started to combine themselves again, the familiar lights bathed the crystal, extracting the spell that was put under it.

Regal mumbled as Lloyd and Presea helped him to stand. The red clad swordsman asked if he was feeling well. The President answered:

"I'm drained out... I used much of my mana on that..."

"Well, but you did it. You saved Yuan. And by the way, that attack was awesome!", Lloyd tried to cheer him and achieved to make Regal to smile.

Naum then reappeared and stretched his body until his face was on the level of Raine. The elemental shadow seemed really angry at her. Zelos showed his wings, as Colette and Lloyd do it also.

"You shall pay!", the head of the rebellion said and transformed his arms into beams of lightning that shot to Raine.

At the moment of the collision, Zelos appeared and used Guardian. The attack however, was too much strong and the red headed Chosen's defense was threatening to break. Then Lloyd and Colette came by Zelos' side and used their respective defensive techniques, reinforcing the barrier that protected Raine against the strong beams.

Sheena was already summoning Undine. When she pronounced the name of the aquatic entity a water column fell upon Naum'Kir, making him to stop the attack and shrink while all his body sparkled like crazy.

Undine then appeared, but, strangely, Volt hadn't show up yet. Sheena imagined what was happening to the Summon Spirit of lightning to don't come when they purified the crystal and turned the mana flow to normal.

Naum looked to Undine and without speak anything started to attack her. Undine casted several Spread spells around the elemental shadow, who avoided, by making his body to disconnect from the ground and float. The chaos being tried to use Thunder Strike on Undine, but as soon as the lightning fell the water that was left from Undine's last attack came from the ground and enveloped Naum, catching the attack and transferring the energy to him.

"You was near to totally destroy the equilibrium in this place, but now you shall pay for your inconsequential acts.", Undine said in her fluid, serene voice, but the heroes could catch a tint of anger on it.

"Not before drag one of you with me!", Naum'Kir shouted, throwing bolts of electricity on the guardian of the water.

Undine counter-attacked with great water jets that engulfed Naum's attacks and covered the elemental shadow on water again, making some electricity left his body. Undine charged another spell. This time she would make sure to beat that shadow for all the problems he caused.

"Tidal Wave!", Undine controlled the water that still left in the room and produced more, forming a great flood. She also enchanted the water to make it rust Naum'Kir's armor.

The tsunami was bigger then the elemental shadow himself, who widened its eyes at seeing the incoming attack. Before he could escape, Naum was drowned by the giant wave. His armor rusted, turning totally useless, and his body was quickly dispersing inside the water currents, until his energy had left him.

When the wave dispersed, it left a great puddle at the room. Undine looked back to the heroes and spoke to Sheena:

"You should try to call Volt. I'm not sure if I really destroy him."

At that line, sparks formed around all the puddle. A ball of electricity started to form above the water. When Undine and the others turned to see it, the ball formed what seemed to be Naum's face and shot to Undine, who wear a surprised look.

Before the remnants of the elemental shadow could hit the aquatic entity another ball of electricity came in her front. Naum wasn't able to avoid from Volt at time and when he hit the guardian of lightning he started to be absorbed, until nothing of him was left.

Volt glowed while absorbing the chaos energies of Naum'Kir and when he stopped he seemed to shook in his position. Undine asked if he was alright. Volt gave to her an answer on his language, making the guardian of the water to smile while nodded. Lloyd asked what Volt had just said and Undine answered him:

"He said that Naum wasn't much tasty, but he'll survive.", the comment made part of the group to chuckle.

From the stairs that gave access to the entrance came Genis and Merilius. The two seemed some of tired, like they had fought an army by themselves, what in fact happened. Lloyd and the others got surprised to see Merilius.

"Hey, Merilius. Long time no see, hu?!", Sheena greeted.

The dark-blue haired half-elf looked to her with a strange expression on his face, which made she some of uncomfortable. He was looking to her like she had some problem that just him knew. The Children of the Light turned his look from her to the crystal at the altar and asked:

"Did you already purify it?"

"Yeah. You don't need to worry bud.", Zelos answered, with his typical idiot smile.

Merilius didn't answer anything. The group started to feel uneasy with that. They knew he was hiding something from them, but before they could ask, Merilius' eyes widened and he ran to the crystal.

Lloyd and his group followed the reclusive half-elf and stopped at the front of the crystal, Volt and Undine companying them. When the red clad swordsman asked what was that about, Merilius just pointed to the crystal. The party looked to it and held their breath.

At the center of the crystal was a big crack. The members of the group who could feel mana felt it leaving the crystal by the crack, which started to spread through the crystal. Before they could do anything, Merilius ordered them to down.

When rays of light started to shot from the crystal, the group immediately downed at the time the crystal exploded, launching sharp fragments to everywhere. The sharps bounced in the group's back harmlessly.

When they stood again, the crystal was just a pile of fragments. Mouth agape, they looked to Merilius. The Summon Spirits also looked very surprised to see what just happened.

"Damn! So it was this what Nebilim was planning!", Merilius exclaimed.

Before the group could ask anything more, a great quake shook the entire temple...

- - - - -

By around all over Tethe'alla the crystals that held the barrier of Nebilim's Fortress cracked and shattered, releasing the energies and the spell that was inside them. Soon all the crystals were destroyed.

Celsius, Gnome and Shadow felt that and they got worried about what was just to happened. Then they felt a great disturbance in the energies around the desert lands at the north of Gaorachia. Something very bad was about to happen...

- - - - -

In the desert lands, the barrier around Nebilim's Fortress still stand, with its purple and pink colors flowing around its extension. Suddenly, the colors stopped to flow and it remained stationary for some time.

Then a white crack appeared on the top of the dome and started to spread until its base. Rays of light shot from the cracks and the birds at the top of the trees flew away, like if knowing what was about to happen.

With a bright flash the barrier around the city shattered in thousands of glass-like fragments of magic. Instants latter, the skies around the continent were covered by thick dark clouds that started to move in spiral, forming an storm-eye right above the tallest tower of the castle inside the City of Darkness, and blocked the sun.

Lightnings started to crackle in the air around the fortress. The ground then shook violently, just like before and lightning fell in the grounds around the fortress, right outside the wall of the ancient city. The lightnings started to dig holes in the ground as they fell forming circle over all the perimeter of the city's wall. From these holes, great fissures and cracks formed and extended by all the desert lands.

As the fortress rose above the level of that land, the fissures reached the shores and soon the sea waters started to fill the gaps left between the sections of lands, which unhook one from another. In instants, the desert lands transformed into an archipelago of dead islands. The quakes stopped when all the process was complete.

At the center of what once was the desert at the north of Gaorachia Forest floated a great fortress protected by a raging storm, making all the environment around got dark. The symbol of years of fear, oppression and death was revived and floated over the earth again, like an omen that signalized the end of peace...

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Well, what about it now, uh?!

How will Lloyd and his friends deal with the horror that was just realeased once again in the world? What are Kermish and Nebilim's plans to the exphere? Will Yuan stop to be so stubborn and admit he like Lloyd and the others as friends? Will Zelos stop to be a pervert and see there's someone watching him? Will... Ah, let's stop for now, ok?!

Stay tunned for another chapter!!!


	37. The Horror is Released

Hey people! This is my last chapter before Christmas and with it we end the part "Renegade Shadows" of the fic. Hope you enjoy!

After this we will have some lighter, interlude chapters, before the next part, which will be one of the lasts. Also, I felt the need to put some more Shelloyd and other pairings moments. Important things and character development will still happening in these interlude chapters.

Now enjoy!

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Chapter 37

**The Horror is Released**

They stayed there, looking at the great fortress that float over what once was the desert lands at the north of Gaorachia. When they felt the first quakes, Lloyd's group, together with Merilius and the Summon Spirits, descended to the entrance of the temple and from there they watched as Nebilim's fortress arose to the skies.

The vision of the dark skies and the storm raging around the fortress seemed like a picture of an artist that want to represent what he thought was the Doomsday. Wind blew from the direction of the fortress, howling like tormented spirits. That made Lloyd and the other mortal members in the group think if the gusts of wind wasn't really carrying the spirits that they felt when they first "visited" the City of Darkness.

"I feared it would happen...", Merilius spoke, attracting the group's attention. "Kermish put a linked spell on the crystals."

"Linked spell?", Lloyd asked. Genis explained.

"A linked spell is a chain of enchantments that someone put on places or things that will later be activated be something, like another magic. It's a really complicated spell, the most complicated that the elves know, for you have to tune it with the previous spells you casted and made them to stay dormant and set what will activate them, only a master in magic would be capable of cast it."

The group stood silent at that. Nebilim was a master in magic, they had sufficient proves of that, and since Nebilim was helping Kermish it shouldn't be so difficult to the mad Chosen to cast it.

"So, are you saying Nebilim wanted us to purify the crystals for this linked spell to be activated and destroy them?", Yuan asked to Merilius in a surprised and shocked tone.

"Exactly. It was the safer way for him to destroy the crystals without attract the attention of the elemental shadow's leaders or the Summon Spirits. Linked spells are the ideal type of enchantments for this. By staying dormant, the spells almost can't be detected until they got activated, which is when it's too late to do something about them.

"Masters in magic can detect these spell, but just if they look with attention. The Summon Spirits could also sense it, but since they were occupied with the damage on the mana flows they hadn't sufficient time to look. Also, it can't be dispelled easily, even with the enchantment you used.", Merilius said, glancing Raine. "Linked spells have their own dispel enchantment, but the knowledge about it was lost since the elves stopped to practice advanced spells like these."

Lloyd got confused at all that explanation. He didn't understand much about magic, but one think he caught, Nebilim deceived them into purifying the crystals and they didn't have how to know that. All their hard work was just to help Nebilim to bring back his fortress' power.

As the group gazed over these conclusions, several flashes appeared around them. All the Summon Spirits, save by Verius, were looking at the City of Darkness. Some, like Gnome and Celsius, seemed pissed off, others just gazed at the omen-like vision with taciturn expressions.

Origin sighed. Nebilim had once again not just passed over them, but also defiled their temples and they didn't even noticed that. How could the Summon Spirits, the guardian entities of that world, commit the same mistake twice?

As great spirits were silent, Lloyd and the others decided to leave them to think. They didn't know what could possibly be passing by the Summon Spirits' minds. Presea suggested:

"Wouldn't there any way for us to destroy the fortress?"

"Maybe there is, but it would be necessary something very powerful to destroy it. I can sense from here protective enchantments by all over it.", Yuan said.

"Then why don't we use the Mana Cannon?", Lloyd suggested, remembering Yuan still having the ancient, powerful weapon.

Merilius gasped, a reaction that didn't pass unnoticed by the group. They turned to him and saw the light warrior was trying to avoid their looks. Yuan asked if he had anything he would like to share with them, using a low dangerous tone.

The Children of the Light started to sweat by having all of them looking to him. He decided then to tell them. It was better than they try to use the Thor's Hammer and something bad happen:

"Do you remember when I was working for you and spying for Kermish I worked on the control room of the Mana Cannon?", Yuan nodded, already foreseeing that a bad new was about to come. "Well, Kermish had fear you could use the cannon against him, so he asked me to put a CD on the control room and download something in the main computer."

Merilius' fears confirmed when Yuan grabbed him by the collar and pulled him until their faces almost touched. The next sentence, Yuan said between his teeth in a slow, controlled tone:

"You downloaded... a virus... in my cannon?!", Merilius just had time to nod before Yuan prepare to strangle him. The former Seraphim would have success if it wasn't for Lloyd and the others held him by the back and separated the two. "Do you have any IDEA of what took for me to MADE THAT THING?!?!?!"

"I'm really sorry! I didn't know what exactly was in that CD.", Merilius tried to apologize. Yuan seemed to calm down a little, so the others left him.

"Now we can't use the Mana Cannon. The control system of the cannon is connected to our base's systems. If that virus wasn't caught by them, then it must be a really dangerous one. And before you ask what kind of virus we're talking about, it's a computer thing so you won't understand.", Yuan said, looking to Lloyd who was about to ask that question. The boy shot an ugly look to the Renegades' leader.

Now they were without idea of what to do. Merilius explained that they wouldn't be able to fly to the fortress, because the storm around it took down anything that approached the great structure, even in land.

Origin then turned to the group, seeming done with his analysis of the situation, and spoke:

"You go back and rest. You already have done much for us and we need to discuss about this matter and what will be our course of action.", without say anything more, Origin and the other spirits faded.

Deciding to follow Origin's orders, the group took out their Rheairds and flew to the skies. Merilius was riding in Yuan's Rheaird. The leader of the Renegades said it was best like that, so he could ask what more Merilius messed up in the Renegades. Though, fearing that Yuan could even abandon the drive to get a chance to strangle him again, Merilius didn't have any option.

At the way to Flanoir Base the light warrior filled them with what happened since he escaped, nearly dead, from Nebilim's Fortress. The group was surprised at discover that things about Merilius and much more by him actually told that to them. It was the type of thing you would told just to your close friends. They decided to don't comment Martel's speech about Merilius let Nebilim took his life.

The dark-blue haired half-elf also told about what he discovered in the crystals and his quick fight with Khan'Tharu in the Darkness Temple. That made a memory click on Presea:

"Luna said she felt your presence there. So you really was in the temple."

"Yes, but as soon as we felt the mana flows turning to normal that damn Linch grabbed me and teleported the two of us a country away from the temple.", Merilius grumbled.

As the group arrived at the Renegades' base, they went to Yuan's office. The former Seraphim said Merilius still had to explain to them somethings about Nebilim and what the fact that the City of Darkness was again in the skies really represented.

Merilius, this time, told to them all that he knew about Ara Tharu and it's members and generals. A talk that took a lot of time:

"First you must know what Ara Tharu, or 'true order' as Nebilim liked to say, really is."

"But you already said that. You said it was an order that Nebilim created to conquer the world for the elves.", Lloyd interrupted, sat in one of the chairs Yuan ordered Denvir to brought. The second-in-command was also in the room.

"There's more of it than mere worldwide domination. Ara Tharu was meant to become the ruling power over both world and its people.", the youngsters of the group looked to Merilius in confusion. Wasn't the two the same thing? The half-elf sighed and explained. "Let's put like this: conquer lands and villages is easy, but domain and suffocate the will of the people that lives there is another thing. Nebilim's objective was to brought order by eliminating any opposing power and that included the people's will."

Just Yuan, Raine and Regal understood what Merilius meant by that. Yuan, more than nobody, knew what Merilius was talking about conquering people's will so they wouldn't rise against the power that controlled their lands. He had in firsthand experienced what was the feeling of growing tired of the order that ruled over the world and made people suffer and for you to want to do something against it.

Yuan tried to explain to the others what the Children of the Light meant by that statement. It seemed to the former Seraphim that Ara Tharu was some kind of Cruxis of that time. The rest of the group caught the general idea.

"It's because of this that Nebilim spent so many years in researches to know how to control and use the darkness of the heart to bent someone at his will.", Merilius continued. "However, he was never able to totally eliminate people's hope and to control their hearts, as much as he tried. That was what angered him the most, to know there was something he couldn't destroy or control."

"So he is the type of guy that wants to control everything and throws a fit when he can't.", Sheena said. "Hu, and I here, thinking this freak was a complicated matter. We already dealt with thousands of these type of guys and some weren't even good as villains."

"As much as I would like to concur with you in this point, Nebilim is different from anything you already faced, as some of you saw when he possessed your friends.", Merilius replied. Sheena stood quite at that. "But it's true that Nebilim isn't that mysterious or ominous.", the female ninja looked back to Merilius, the light warrior was smirking. "Good part of the terror inspired by Nebilim came from the aura of mystery and unknown that he maintained about himself, his powers and Ara Tharu. It's like they said: people fear what they don't understand. Nobody really know Nebilim, his objectives and, mainly, his fails."

The group could feel the deep meaning inside Merilius' words. They had experienced by themselves what was the emotions that Nebilim liked to cause in his enemies. They could imagine what was like, back in the Forgotten Ages, when people fought against Nebilim without have any idea about his powers and abilities.

Raine felt that now they had something concrete about Nebilim and his plans. She had to admit that the Dark Lord's plans matched with some thoughts the elves had about how disorganized the world was in the hands of the humans and because of their actions. Thought, it wasn't nearly close to justify all the atrocities the twisted elf committed in the Forgotten Ages.

"Ok, we already know some more about this Dark Lord of yours. What about Ara Tharu?", Yuan questioned. "We already have an idea of what kind of creatures worked for Nebilim, but how much of them still alive?"

"Good part of Ara Tharu's army was eliminated in the war that Vallor waged against Nebilim. Just some elemental shadows and demons of the original society still living inside the sealed fortress. It's probably because of this that Nebilim also needed Kermish, to reunite new members to Ara Tharu or summon more to this world, in the case of the demons."

The group shivered at the thought of a demonic invasion. They had had enough of it when they fought against the hordes inside the cursed book of Niflheim. Merilius continued:

"From the generals that existed in the original Ara Tharu, if I remember well, there's only two that were sealed inside the fortress. These ones will be our main concern. The Linch that we fought against, Kanaru Tharu, and the elemental shadow general Kair'Nor.

"Kanaru Tharu, this is the complete name of the Linch?", Raine asked and Merilius nodded.

According to the elves stories, the Linches had the habit to adopt new names different from their real names, of when they were elves, and these names often meant what was their position inside the ranks of their demonic masters or what were their duties for with them.

"Yes, Kanaru Tharu means 'Guardian of the Order'. The name suits since Khan'Tharu was the personal advisor of Nebilim and the second in command inside the city in the case of Nebilim's absence. He achieved this honor because he volunteered in a ritual that Nebilim was testing in the time he was researching and writing his own Necronomicon. This ritual was the same that demons used to transform the elves that made pacts with them into Linches.

"A pity it worked. If the stories were correct, the elves that tried to perform this ritual were all cursed with the underworld's energies that were necessary for the transformation. Anyway, the other general, Kair'Nor is..."

"One of the elemental shadows of darkness.", Regal completed the sentence before Merilius, making the Children of the Light to rise an eyebrow. "We fought against his brother in the Temple of Darkness and he mentioned this. It seems that have faith in Nebilim is a family business."

The magic swordsman had to agree on that point. After give some more technical details about the ancient troops of Ara Tharu, Presea asked to Merilius about the City of Darkness, but to the party's dismay the Children of the Light knew little about the architecture and geography of the city. He just knew where it was sealed. The heroes got upset at that, although they understood it. Since Nebilim's Fortress was buried under the earth, Merilius probably never was in the city before.

After ended the questioning, Lloyd and Sheena yawned. Some other members of the group seemed also really tired, they hadn't a decent sleep for days with all the rush to the temples. Raine then said it was time for everybody to go to the bed. The group was so tired that they didn't bother to reply and went to their rooms.

"You should go sleep as well, Merilius.", Raine said, turning to the light warrior, who just smirked.

"Believe in me, I have stayed awake for many more days than this before. Besides, did you forget I'm a Children of the Light? I can replenish my energies just with mana of light."

"Really? So in this case, could you answer some question I have? I'm really curious about you and your family.", Raine said with the typical smile she gave when she was almost in her Ruin-mode.

Noticing the gleam that was threatening to appear in Raine's eyes, Yuan discreetly stood and went to Merilius' side. The older half-elf then whispered in the ear of the Children of the Light:

"If you value your life, say no."

- - - - -

Meanwhile, in another plane of existence, the Summon Spirits discussed the last happenings of the living world in what seemed to be the ruins of a sanctuary in the middle of a forest of tall trees with bright, green leafs. Although the sanctuary, as well as the forest, were all products of the Summon Spirits' will.

That plane was the true home of the guardian entities. There matter didn't exist, only pure energy. Energy that the Summon Spirits could use to create matter and manipulate it at their will. They came to that plane whenever they needed to discuss about important happenings in the world of the mortals or when some of them wanted to take a break from the harsh work of manage the mana flows and maintain the equilibrium.

It made thousands of years since the last they came to their homeland. Now they were there to discuss about a very serious subject, one that many of them still hating the very mention. Nebilim. Origin could remember the first time they reunited to talk about the Dark Lord, it was after he built his fortress and stole their mana. It took for the protectors of the elements five meets to come up with what they should do about Nebilim.

After discuss the last report about the situation in the mana flows, the group of powerful spiritual beings turned to the most important subject at hand: what would they do about Nebilim rising his fortress again?

Suggestions came and went as they discussed about that. As time in that plane almost didn't exist, it could pass days or even mouths in the living world and the Summon Spirit would still discussing the subject of their meet. Origin didn't say anything since the begging of the meet, he obviously was planning something. It was like that in their last meets about Nebilim.

Origin would always stay at his place, just hearing quietly all the suggestions and at the final he would give his word, it was an habit he had. The King of the Summon Spirits was always the one to give the final words of the reunion and to come up with the plan they would follow. Even when Origin's plan was completely different from the ones that the other spirits suggested, the supreme spirit would just hear all of them before he came with his own. Sometimes he would add some points of the other entity's plans to his own.

When the great King silently listened to the others and thought on his plan, Maxwell was the one that served as Origin's voice. Since he was the one that trained Origin and was one of wisest of the spirits, who better understood all the details of the rules and laws that were applied to them and their actions.

A suggestion, though, caught the attention of all the guardian spirits, when it was spoken by Undine:

"Maybe we should call our ancient ally. You know, the one which Vallor accidentally made the pact with...", before the aquatic entity could end her sentence some spirits moaned in disagreement.

"Oh no! No, no, no, no! You won't call _him_! That guy freaks me out!", Gnome protested.

"I have to concur with the big mole here! Really, nobody deserves to have to stand that guy again.", Celsius said.

"Where's the mol...?!"

Gnome tried to protest, but Volt interrupted, asking for the earth and icy entity why they didn't like the one they just mentioned. Gnome was the one to answer:

"Honestly pals, the guy is a demon. D-e-m-o-n. He works for that big, strong freak he calls master that sworn to destroy us. And did you just pay attention on the look he gave when he first met me? He looked to me like I was some circus attraction or something."

"Gnome, everybody look to you like this when they first meet you.", Aska stated. "Besides, he said his old master abandoned Niflheim and their kind for the world of the mortals when the other Lords called them back. By so, he doesn't own anything anymore to his previous master. He said he was now his own master."

"Though I particularly doesn't like the idea of have a Great Demon between us again, we have to consider that he sworn he didn't have any quarrel against the living and that he would never spoke about our secrets. Besides, he once proved to be a quite powerful ally.", Efreet spoke.

Volt also manifested his opinion about the subject, saying that they couldn't refuse a help in this hour and that they didn't have such a deep knowledge about demonic magic. The Summon Spirits knew the demons used the original Chaos in their spells. Because of it they covet to destroy the world of living and blot out the mana, which was the exact oppose of the original Chaos.

Niflheim, the world the demons took by home, had plenty sources of original chaos, since that world wasn't touched by any different energy, other than the aura of the mourning spirits that there lived. That world was beyond the jurisdiction of the Summon Spirits, so they didn't have knowledge of the magic the demons developed using the energies of Chaos.

When Nebilim was in the power, he used the same knowledges that destroyed his ancestors to brought the energies of Niflheim to the mortal world and opened several portals that let many demons enter in the living world. The demons saw how Nebilim was skilled in their magic and recognized the Dark Lord had an objective that was near to their own, so they joined Nebilim's society. That union made a greater mess in the natural equilibrium of the world.

The wars against the demons for the world of the mortals had ended uncountable eons ago, but there were still some minor demons who wanted a revenge for the lost of the ancient world to the elves and the Summon Spirits. These demons, thought little in power compared to the most ancient and wise ones, were many and their number alone was sufficient to cause a great trouble.

"He... different... was an... ally...", Shadow hissed.

"We're not denying he was a good ally in the past, but we shouldn't need to call demons each time we had to deal with Chaos users.", Sephie protested.

"Is it your sense of duty and responsibility speaking or is it just your pride?", Undine questioned sharply.

"What did you say?!", Yutis talked back.

Then a discussion began. From one side, Celsius, Gnome and the Sylph saying they shouldn't need to call their ancient ally demon because Nebilim was their problem and they could solve that without need the help of thirds. In the other, Shadow, Aska, Efreet and Volt, saying that there shouldn't be anything of much to call some help.

Luna and Maxwell tried to calm down the bickering spirits, but without much success. Origin still quiet, this time shaking his head and sighing. Couldn't they have a single meet that wouldn't end in these discussions?

The Spirit of the Birth sighed while the others still arguing with all energy. The age-looking spirit turned to the King of the Summon Spirits and half-commented:

"Why this always have to happen each time we reunite?"

"Because, in a way, we are a family and all the family have discussions.", Origin said in his solemn tone, with a tint of amusement.

- - - - -

After get some rest, Sheena decided to start her investigations about a matter. Since there wasn't any point in stay waiting for something to happen, she decided to not worry with the tomorrow, like they didn't know how to act and the Summon Spirits were discussing about Nebilim's Fortress return and possible solutions for this problem.

Strange. In the past she would always do everything worrying about the impact it would have in her future or in her and Mizuho's honor, but since she got that group of friends of hers, she stopped to worry about "things she couldn't guess the outcome". She now just wanted to enjoy each day as she could. The female ninja didn't know if she got that thought from Colette or Lloyd, but she believed in it.

Deciding to set how she would work to discover about this, the summoner found that she still have that ninja way of thinking about what she could make to obtain some information without being noticed. She thought she had lost that, since it made some time since the last official mission for Mizuho.

The female ninja decided she needed someone that knew her "victims" for to catch the reminiscences in their actions. The name of Genis immediately came, but Sheena immediately discarded it. She doubt the boy would see with good eyes what she was suspecting. Then came Lloyd's name and the voluptuous woman laugh at that thought. The boy couldn't even guess her feelings for him without help, how could he then notice it in other people?

Sheena then decided to take the last name she thought in. That person, though _very _clumsy and quite ingenuous for some subjects, was very attentive and observing when she wanted.

"Do you really think that, Sheena?", Colette asked, when Sheena just told to the blond girl about her suspects.

"Yeah, though I don't have any concrete evidence. So will you help me?"

"Of course. I never played matchmaker before, but I think it must feel good to help two people to realize they like each other.", the angel said with a smile.

Sheena got flushed at that thought. They weren't playing matchmaker, she just wanted to find out about what was happening between her friends. When the female ninja told it to Colette, the girl got confused at why she was doing that then. The summoner sighed and admitted:

"It's just I can't stand here, waiting for something to happen. We don't know how much time this reunion of the Summon Spirits can last and if I don't do something to distract myself, I felt like I would get crazy.", Colette giggled at Sheena's answer. The ninja tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"It seems you just got something from Lloyd. He also doesn't like to wait for the things to happen, he likes to go and do what should be done. He was always some of unquiet."

"What?! Oh no! I think it's better I go to the priest in Mizuho, cause I may be possessed!", Sheena said in worry.

The beautiful summoner liked Lloyd unconditionally, it was truth, but that didn't mean she didn't see the boy's fails, like his problems of short attention span and easy tiredness towards things. The last thing she needed was to turn into Lloyd. She liked to be herself and she was certain that Lloyd also liked her the way she was.

With the preparatives made, the two girls started their little mission. Colette said she found quite fun the thought of being an ninja and discover the things like an detective. Sheena was about to say that the two jobs were completely different, but she gave up. That would just rise more questions.

The duo decided to start with Raine and to their luck, Zelos was around her. Again. It seemed this got to be an habit for the pervert Chosen since the incident with the frozen lake in the Temple of Ice, though, Raine now seemed to not be so bothered by this. In fact, the two girls caught the older woman with a look of someone who lose himself in thoughts when she looked to Zelos. The Chosen seemed to be telling some joke or story of Meltokio, but the half-elf teacher clearly wasn't paying any attention to the adult angel's words.

There was also times when Raine would just stay staring at Zelos without utter a single word. She just got back to reality when the red headed Chosen called her attention, almost shouting and waving a hand at the front of her face, or when he glanced over her and she quickly looked to the other side.

The same thing seemed to happen with Zelos, but in a different way. When the swordsman angel noticed she was staring at him by some time, he blushed lightly, seeming embarrassed, something Sheena never saw before in the perverted man. If that looks weren't a hint of what feelings could be passing through the heads of those two, then Sheena didn't know what could be.

A chance came when Raine asked to Zelos a glass of water. Sheena said she would talk with Zelos and Colette would talk with Raine. As the blond girl nodded, the two went to their targets. Sheena encountered Zelos in one of the kitchens of the base, filling a glass with water.

The red headed Chosen noticed the ninja's approach. Putting his habitual smile in the face he greeted her:

"Hey Sheena! How's you and Lloyd doing? Are you making that guy crazy? I'm sure that with someone like you he would..."

"I'll make you the favor to ignore this comment. I didn't come here to talk about me and Lloyd, I came here to talk about you.", Sheena talked back.

"About me?! Now, now, why the sudden change? I'll just warn you, I'm not responsible if you fall in love for me. You know, I don't want to betray Lloyd. After all, the little idealist guy is my friend."

Sheena's nerves started to boil up. That guy knew how to push her buttons. She tried to remain calm and ignore the urge to slap Zelos. She needed him alive and in one piece to answer her questions. Or at least, able to speak.

"I... appreciate your.... worry...", the female ninja said, trying to smile, though she could just show her teeth. "Anyway, I'm curious. You have been acting a little different from your usual self. You seem more serious and worry about the others then the usual. What's happening?"

"Wh... what are you talking about?! I'm always caring about you all.", Zelos said in the defensive, placing the glass in one of the balconies of the kitchen. Sheena had marked a point.

"Really? But you're especially sticky with Raine. If I remember well, you were just like this when you were trying to get me to forgive you for that mess in Princess Hilda's birthday.", Zelos shallowed dry. Another point for Sheena.

The summoner smiled inward as she saw the pervert angel tug his collar and look to the sides, seeming to try to find an exit from that situation. Sheena knew Zelos enough to notice when the Chosen One was being evasive or trying to hide something. That little gestures were some of the things he made when he was trying to change from a subject that could turn into something embarrassing for him.

After some silence, Zelos seemed calmer. He had come up with an idea. If that worked, he could make Sheena sufficiently angry for she to forget what she was talking with him. Putting his best naughty smile, Zelos asked:

"Why are you asking so much about this? Are you jealous Sheena?", he said in a tone of someone who was trying to throw his charm at the oppose sex.

Vein marks appeared by all over Sheena's forehead. That pervert Chosen _really_ knew how to push her buttons. She hated when he used that tone with her. It was the same tone he used when he wanted to make his "hunnies" to gather around him or to conquer some new women. Added with that smile, it was like the time when they first meet all over again.

_Must not... kill the pervert... must not... kill the pervert... must... not... kill..._, Sheena repeated mentally that saying, like a mantra.

Zelos was trying to distract her. The female ninja knew that. And he was good as hell in it! Whenever he wanted to change the subject he threw some joke or speak something to make she to get angry at him and forget what she was talking. Calming again, Sheena counter attacked, using a gentle, innocent tone:

"I don't need to get jealous because of you, Zelos. I already have Lloyd to worry about, remember? But I imagined, if there would be someone you could become jealous."

"What?! What are you talking about?! Me, the great Zelos, jealous because of someone?! You're kidding right?", he was at the defensive again. Another point to Sheena.

"Oh really? Regal was thinking that maybe you was interested in Raine and I said to him it was his imagination. He will be glad to know it was nothing. You know, he's anxious to confess himself to Raine, after so much time of dating with her..."

"REGAL?! They are dating!!! What does he have that I don...?!", Zelos quickly put his hands on his mouth, but it was too late. He had already said what Sheena wanted to discover.

_Jackpot!!!_, the female ninja thought. She had caught him.

Zelos stuttered some disconnects words, trying to form phrases, trying to say that he didn't mean that. But for some reason, the words seemed to get lost midway to his mouth. Sheena grinned, she never thought that make that pervert got embarrassed was so fun, but it seemed to be a good revenge for all that lame flirts and jokes he made about her and her body in the past.

Zelos, however, was saved when Denvir entered the kitchen, saying that Yuan wanted him to come to his office immediately. Sighing in relief the red headed Chosen immediately followed the Renegade commander.

Sheena sworn. She was so close to extract a confession from him. Well, at least she already got something concrete. She couldn't wait to tell Lloyd that she just discovered their friend was indeed interested in Raine and, maybe, was even starting to fall in love for the half-elven researcher.

- - - - -

_Man, what I'm going to do?! If she tell Raine, I'm done for it! Why did I have to open my big mouth, why?!_, Zelos thought at the way to Yuan's room, praying to all he judged sacred for don't let Sheena to tell Raine what he just started to feel for her.

He didn't know how or why he was feeling like that. He just knew he felt it and that it was different from his previous feelings for Sheena. It seemed it started when he just saw her falling into the frozen lake in the Temple of Ice, or was it before. Oh, whatever. He just didn't want for her to suffer that horrible death.

Zelos knew how Raine should have suffered in her life. He still remembered his raise and the saying that people around him spoke about half-elves and how they should be punished for "corrupt" the human blood. Zelos didn't mind about that talks at first, but one day, the Pope requested Zelos' presence at an execution that was about to be carried at the Coliseum. It was of an half-elf that stole something to get money.

The convict said he just did that for his family didn't have money and they were living in the slumbers, suffering from hungry. Curious, the Chosen One decided to verify the story and discovered it was truth. He tried to get the Pope to understand, but the suppose church authority just said:

"It's the law. Any half-elf found guilt must be executed, without exceptions."

Zelos then had to watch the half-elf be massacred by the beasts of the Coliseum. It was so unfair. He just wanted to help his family, but Zelos couldn't do anything about it. He had to maintain his "image". What people would think if the Chosen started to walk around with half-elves?

With all that the red headed angel watched and heard about half-elves, it wasn't difficult to comprehend why Virginia, Raine's mother, wanted her daughter away from that land. But even so, Raine could have faced discrimination in Sylvarant, which was suffering at the hands of the Desians. Why would people look to Raine and judge her just by her race? Wasn't she a living being? Didn't she deserve to live? Didn't she saved all that world from certain destruction?!

Once that these thoughts and questions crossed Tethe'alla's Chosen's mind, he got surprised at himself. He never thought so much about these questions and he certainly never defended any half-elf as much as he was ready to willingly defend Raine. He wanted she to be happy and didn't have to suffer from that stupid discrimination anymore.

_Wait! Am I really.._, a thought came to Zelos_. _Could he really feel that for someone?

Regal's words started to play in his mind: love is when we want for someone to be happy. Well, he wanted for Raine to be happy, but what could he have to offer for her happiness? She was an intelligent, mature, beautiful woman and he a noble, joking-around Chosen one with an easy life. Compared to her he felt like a school boy at the front of a an attractive teacher. She deserved someone better than him.

Before enter in Yuan's room, Zelos got surprised at himself again. He never thought low of himself when comparing to someone before. Never. Yuan and Lloyd noticed Zelos' strange look and asked if everything was alright. Trying to make himself to look good again, Zelos said:

"I'm alright. Just thinking."

"I swear, someday you all will traumatize me with all these surprises.", Zelos shot an angry look at Yuan. The half-elf didn't pay attention to it like the usual. "We received a letter from the King of Tethe'alla. It seems the situation with the Princess didn't get better and he requests our presence to also know what was the quakes detected in Gaorachia's north region and what was the sudden change in the skies in that region."

"Now that you mentioned, didn't the Princess was put to sleep by Kermish? Do you think Nebilim have any plan to her?", Lloyd asked to Yuan.

"I don't know and maybe we should call Merilius to come with us. He knows Nebilim's magic and way of act better than no one.", Yuan stated, ordering Denvir to brought Merilius, so the four of them would go to the capital of the advanced country...

* * *

Well, that's it people! Oh, and also:

Merry Christmas!!! 8)


	38. Learning to Live

Time to get some character development and pairings time.

The things in these chapters will be lighter, so you may relax and prepare yourselves for the next part of the fic.

Well, I don't know what more to say, so let's get going.

**

* * *

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**Chapter 38**

**Learning to Live**

Meltokio seemed the same since the last Lloyd and the others were there, but inside the castle, they could notice a slight change in the mood. Several guards ran from one hall to another, bringing piece of papers that seemed reports. Elves could be seen in the corridors and at the doors of the Royal Archives with their hands on the chins, thinking.

Yuan immediately guessed that none of them had discovered how to revert the spell on Princess Hilda and, now that he knew who the true responsible for that was, he doubted any of them knew some kind of magic that could counter Nebilim's demonic magic.

"You go to the Princess' room. I have to check some things.", Yuan said, going to where one of the elven spell casters was leaning against a pillar.

Shrugging Zelos, Merilius and Lloyd went to the same room where Kermish put the spell on the Princess and found her in her bed. The King was set in a chair at the side of the bed. Another person was in the room, a young woman with red hair, knelled near the bed. She seemed to be trying to cast a dispel enchantment on the princess, but the spell slipped away in the daughter of the King's body.

"I'm sorry your majesty, but I never saw such a potent spell like this before.", Seles apologized herself.

"It's okay. You did all you could.", the King said, trying to sound normal, but the sad tone in his voice was evident.

Zelos made a sound with his throat to cal their attention. Once the two saw the red headed Chosen and his companions they stood. Seles was the first to greet her brother. The King noticed Merilius and asked to Zelos who was him. The red headed warrior introduced the Children of the Light as someone who knew deeply about the type of magic that Kermish was using, what was truth in a way.

Merilius bowed to the King and went to his daughter. Everybody stood quite while Merilius analyzed the princess, passing his hand some inches above her with closed eyes, feeling the mana flowing from her. After some time of analyses, the diagnostic came:

"She's in a deep trance. It doesn't seem a normal sleep spell, it's more like Kermish is using her as a bridge."

"Bridge? How can someone turn into a bridge?", Lloyd asked, with a confused expression written all over his face.

"It's not the type of bridge you're thinking. I mean Kermish may be using her as a scepter to catch something from the castle, like information or reports.", Merilius explained.

There was stories in the Ishtar family about survivors from Nebilim's attacks against cities that latter revealed to be spies of the Dark Lord and others about people that had a spell on them which made them seem to be in a deep sleep, when in truth this spell was for Nebilim to catch talks about important information through his victim's senses. The ancient, twisted elf could even enchant his victim's senses, making them capable of hear talks from outside the building where they were being treated.

After giving instructions to put an anti-spy spell around the room, Merilius and the others heard Princess Hilda start to mumble something. Turning to the cursed woman, they could hear the words:

"The Dark Lord... Ara Tharu revived... darkness will cover the heart... demons and shadows scourge the land... world... perish... Mana Tree... destroyed...", after spoke that words, Hilda stayed in silence again. After some minutes she started to mumble the same words, again and again.

"She started to speak this soon after I received news about an earthquake in Gaorachia region. The elves said that something in the spell may be doing it, but the human doctors I called think she's just delirious.", the King explained as Hilda started to repeat her strange sayings.

"Your doctors can't help her. It seems she's catching some of Kermish's feelings and thoughts about his plans. I heard about cases alike. The powers used in the spell can create a weak, mental link between the victim and the caster, so the victim sometimes catch the most superficial emotions and thoughts of the caster. The fact she's mumbling this means that the Princess is trying to react against the spell, but I can't give any guarantee that she'll be able to break it.", Merilius explained, not taking his gaze away of Hilda as she repeated the same verse, yet another time.

Lloyd and Zelos told to the King that the quakes in the north of Gaorachia shattered the desert lands, turning them into an archipelago. But they said they didn't know anything about why the sky was like that. They thought it was better for the King not to know about Nebilim, it would just raise too many awkward questions and if the story escaped it could start a possible terror amongst the population.

Merilius then instructed the King about how to treat Hilda and the spells that should be put around her room in the case of anything happen. The King immediately asked to a nearby maid to call one of the elven spell casters.

Giving their goodbyes to the ruler of Tethe'alla, the group decided to stop at Zelos mansion. Lloyd's stomach had again grumbled as the boy realized he hadn't eaten anything since they left. Zelos made fun about how would be Sheena's life when she had to deal with Lloyd's appetite, what made the boy blush while he shout an "hey!" in protest. Merilius stood quite at the teasing, the mention of Sheena's name made him to realize he still had to work on how he would tell that.

At the gates of the castle, they encountered Yuan. Sensing the older half-elf wanted to talk something important, Zelos said to Seles to go to the mansion and warn Sebastian to prepare some food for they would have guests. The young woman nodded and went to Zelos' house while Merilius asked what Yuan discovered from the elves.

"They know nothing about Nebilim and Ara Tharu that I can guarantee. I mentioned some names and they didn't show any reaction that could say they know about it.", Yuan said, with a look of disappointment in the face.

"I heard that after Vallor passed away the elves decided that the Forgotten Ages was a too big stain in their image to be remembered, so they secretly burn any evidence and erased this period of time from their history books. But I never thought it was really truth.", Merilius said, making the other males look to him with wide eyes. "The humans were easy to make to forget, since they have the tendency to easily forget the things and all their books and records had already been destroyed by Nebilim. For the other elves, I heard it was necessary a government as hard as Nebilim's regime to make the other elves to even stop to mention the story of the Forgotten Ages. Some elves were even punished with death by making propaganda about Vallor and Nebilim."

"How could they do this after all Vallor did for them?!", Lloyd exclaimed, almost shouting, what attracted the attention of some passers.

Yuan made signal for him to low his tone while Zelos just waved his hand, saying it was nothing to worry about. Lloyd didn't seem to calm down. He was angry by hearing the elves could be so selfish at the point of ignore someone that once saved them and possibly the entire world.

"It's what people who learn nothing from their experiences do, Lloyd. They ignore something that isn't benefit for them and act like it never existed.", Yuan said, still trying to calm the irritated swordsman down. "It doesn't matter if it was an event in which they almost got extinct, they're just too proud to admit they even needed help or that it was their fault."

"Don't get too bugged over this Lloyd. For me it's even better that nobody remember about those times. At least I don't have to stand paparazzi.", Merilius said, with a smile, trying to point some good side on it.

Merilius had accepted much time ago that, in the actual world, nobody remembered of Nebilim and Vallor anymore and there wasn't any story or legend about them either. That thought came after the light warrior thought he was alone in that world and just him could guard the Devil's Arms.

"But it's so ipoc... it's ipocr... Ah! It's really unfair that they did this with Vallor and...", Lloyd said, trying to remember a word that Raine once used, but failed.

"And it's in the past.", Zelos interrupted. "Wasn't you the one that said we couldn't change the past, Lloyd? The damage is already made and we can't change it. I also don't like the idea of a true hero be simply ignored like that, but what can we do?", Lloyd stopped, but still visibly angry at the elves.

The four then went to Zelos' mansion and there Lloyd decided to discount his anger by attacking the food, what meant half of Zelos' food storage was gone. The other three also ate, but not as much as Lloyd, who was practically devouring the food.

Yuan would have said something about spare food for the rest of the world's population, but by the expression on Lloyd's face, he decided to stay quite...

- - - - -

Presea was sharpening her ax with one of the Renegades in the armory, a room of considerable size where good part of the weapons were maintained, with exception of the ones being experimented.

With all that fights, Presea's Gaia Cleaver's edge was becoming blunt. Thought, the sharpening stone Genis gave to her helped to maintain the edge in good conditions, it was just temporary, after three or two fights the edge turned to the state it was before. Presea then searched for the Renegade that guarded that room to ask him for sharpened her ax.

"Here.", the keeper of the armory said once his work was finished, handing the weapon back to Presea. "Honestly I don't know how a weapon like this could have its edge damaged.", the Renegade sharpener commented.

Presea stayed in silence. If he knew what kind of adversaries they have fought, he wouldn't be so surprised if the weapon even got broken. Thanking the man, Presea exited the room, but when she opened the door she hit Genis in the nose, who was right outside leaned against the wall.

The boy let out an "ouch!" when he felt the metal door make contact with his face. Presea then noticed Genis was behind the door, which opened to outside, and rushed to ask if he was alright, apologizing for she didn't know he was there.

"Ok, it was by bault.", he said in a nasal voice, due he was holding his hurt face part.

Presea asked to see if she didn't break the boy's nose. To her luck, it wasn't anything of too serious, she hadn't opened the door with much strength. Asking what Genis was doing there, Presea again got the young warlock blushing widely as he tried to stutter some words.

_Why is he always like this in my presence?_, the pink haired girl thought. Genis was always so smart in his replies and comments, but near her he was reduced to a young child who seemed to be trying to say its first words.

As the girl tilted her head to the side in confusion, Genis got, if it was even possible, redder than before. He thought she was so pretty when she did that. The half-elven boy now lost completely the ability to speak.

_DAMMIT! SAY SOMETHING YOU STUPID!!!_, Genis ordered to his body mentally.

"Hum... ho... how is... how is Raine?", Genis said the first thing that came to his head, getting an "uh?" from Presea, who got more confused at why the boy was now asking pointless questions.

_EVERITHING LESS THAT YOU IDIOT!!! YOU'RE EVEN WORSE THAN LLOYD!!!_, Genis' part that still calm achieved to shout mentally. He was playing the dumb in a way he never thought was possible.

Breathing deeply, Genis tried to count until ten and organize his thoughts. Presea waited patiently while the boy calmed himself. He seemed to want to tell something important to her.

Once Genis organized his thoughts he finally found control over his mouth again. The powerful spell caster was ready to let out the first words when another voice sounded behind him, a familiar voice:

"Hi Genis! Hi Presea! What are you two doing?", a tall, voluptuous figure appeared. Sheena looked from one of the youngsters to another.

"Nothing...", Genis said slowly, like he was struggling to say the word, with closed eyes to hide his irritation at the ninja for spoil his chance.

"Really? The way you two are it seems you're about to tell something really interesting to Presea.", Sheena spoke.

The young warlock tried to again calm down at the sudden urge to talk back at Sheena "really? What did give to you this idea?!". He knew she didn't have the intention to appear that way and spoil his talk with Presea. Plus, he knew she was capable of spank him as hard as his sister if he answered to her with bad manners. The little half-elf also didn't know how Lloyd would act if him got to know that he got angry at his girlfriend without motive.

Thinking quickly, Genis found that there was just one way for him to get rid of Sheena without sound he was in a bad mood. Turning and pointing behind Sheena, the boy shout:

"Lloyd! What happened to you?! Why are you all bleeding?!"

"What?!", Sheena let out, quickly turning to the direction the boy pointed.

Presea also looked, but at the moment she saw nothing, Genis grabbed her wrist and ran with her from that corridor. Sheena still looking around while the two ran, trying to find a beaten and bleeding Lloyd. Once the female ninja didn't found anything, she turned while asked:

"I don't see him. Are you certainly you saw...?", she stopped to speak once she saw that Genis and Presea weren't around anymore. Sheena then realized what just happened. "Dang. Fall in the oldest trick of the history..."

Meanwhile Genis ran with Presea and arrived near a great window, which gave vision the rock islands decorating the scenery of Flanoir's coast. Genis stopped to recover his breathing. Once the boy was good again, he turned to his pink haired companion, who asked to him:

"Genis, why did you lie to Sheena like that?", the ax wielder questioned. Genis wasn't like that.

"Sorry, but that was the only way to we get some peace and then I could tell to you.", Genis spoke, a rather quick. "I tried to tell this to you, but something always happened and I couldn't, I'm tired of this.", the young warlock again breathed deeply, before say the next sentence. "Presea, what I want to tell you is that I like you. I really like you!"

The last words left Genis' mouth in a rush. He prayed for Presea had understood it, cause he felt that if he had to repeat, it would be all that confusion from before all over again. The half-elf sighed in relief as he saw the surprised expression in Presea's face, it seemed she had understood what he said.

The young ax wielder stayed in her place and for the first time in what seemed years, she didn't know what to speak. Genis' sudden confession had struck her. It was like someone really strong had hit her with a very big hammer and now she couldn't think right or move.

Presea never considered herself attractive or even pretty. To her words like that didn't have any meaning, since she once started to doubt she was human or even a living being. Then Genis saved her from her own darkness and now he said that he liked her in a special way. She never thought this would happen to her, never. It was so improvable, so apart from her world.

Thoughts rushed all at once in her mind. The pink haired girl couldn't concentrate in one, for they were too much quick for she to catch. What should she answer? How should she react? That were the main questions in her head and for none of them she was finding an answer.

Genis was relieved he had finally said what was stuck in him since a long time, but once he saw the expression of pure confusion in Presea's face, he started to think if it was really a wise thing to say what he felt for her. He had forgotten that Presea still recovering her emotions and that her body was just starting to react to the time.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could you not think in that?! Now you put her in an embarrassing situation!_, Genis again scolded himself.

Before the half-elven boy could apologize by all of that, Presea spoke first, in an apologetic tone, guessing what the boy was thinking:

"You don't need to apologize yourself Genis, you don't have fault at anything of this. It's just that... it's just that I never thought about this before."

"No, it's also my fault. I should have remembered you didn't recover all of your emotions. I'm sorry.", Genis insisted, he couldn't stand to see Presea blaming herself for something.

"I'm an adult in a child's body, but my life experiences and emotions are the ones of a young child.", Presea said in a serious tone. Genis knew that tone: she used that when spoke her analysis about topics of the life. "I don't know how to deal with these feelings that you said you have by me."

Deception washed over all Genis' being. He feared that could happen and tried to prepare himself for the possibility, but he learn that it didn't matter how much he prepared himself, he would still feel pain, even if it was little. He couldn't blame Presea for that, it was him who decided to confess his feelings for her.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said it.", Genis thought aloud.

"No Genis. It's not your fault. Please, don't blame yourself for it. Just try to understand, I don't feel I'm ready for this kind of relationship. Please.", Presea's tone was one Genis never thought he would hear, it was pleading.

Shame now fell upon the powerful magician. He couldn't force the young ax woman to do anything. It wasn't like him and he never had this intention. Genis nodded while trying to put a smile on his face to show he accepted that. Presea smiled as well when she saw Genis' gesture.

"Maybe when we're older, or maybe in some years, I'll fell like I'm ready for a serious relationship. We still young, we have much time ahead. But I don't want this to prejudice our friendship, could we still be good friends?", Presea asked. To her, good friends was the closer she could be to someone.

A flame of hope lit in Genis' heart. Good friends was better than nothing, at least, he would still close to Presea. If she still wanted to be friends with him, it meant she liked him, even if it wasn't in the way he expected to. Genis always heard stories about people that before turn into lovers were good friends.

The young warlock nodded again, smiling a sincere smile this time. Presea was right, they still have much time ahead. He didn't need to have hurry to do anything. He could wait, Presea was with him and that was what mattered.

- - - - -

When Merilius and the others arrived, Yuan went to his office while Zelos and Lloyd searched for the others. Merilius also searched for a person, he decided it was time for him to start the second part of his mission.

Searching and asking for some nearby Renegade soldiers, Merilius found that she was at a garden inside the base. The Children of the Light also asked for the Renegades to inform someone to find him at that garden and went to the mentioned local.

When working for the Renegades, Merilius heard about the gardens inside the bases. They were spaces where plants were cultivated by artificial solar lights, projected to be a local where the members of the organization could relax and spent some time around an almost natural environment inside the base. Most of the Renegades, though, didn't even know about that hidden heavens or simply ignored, because their works took most of their time.

When Merilius found the garden he saw a blond figure dressed in white looking to some flowers. The serene expression in her face and the bright smile she had made Merilius think that those flowers somehow brought to her soul some comfort. He could have stayed there, staring at the peaceful girl if it wasn't for his mind to remember him that he had something to talk with her.

Making a sound of clear his throat, Merilius called the attention of the tranquil, smiling girl. Once she saw him, she gave another warming smile and went to him.

"Hello Merilius.", she greeted the light warrior.

"Hello Colette.", the Children of the Light greeted back. After wait a little, Merilius saw another figure coming from the corridor.

The blue haired man looked to the heaven around him, impressed. He didn't imagine a place like that existed inside the metal, underground base. When Merilius greeted him, he immediately saw Colette at the side of the half-elven swordsman. Greeting the magic warrior back, Regal spoke:

"It seems you want to talk something to me and Colette. My only question is: what could it be?"

"If you two sat, I think I can tell why I called you two.", deciding for to do that, Regal and Colette sat in a nearby bench while Merilius still stood. "I'm right in assuming you two remember when I told about my brief stay in the lands of the Mana Three and my talk with Martel.", Colette and Regal nodded. "Well, like you remember, there I was told that I unconsciously let Nebilim took control of my life... that I let him to turn the reason of my existence...

"After had recognized that, I made a promise to Luna and Martel that I'll learn how to live again, but I couldn't do alone. It's also because of this that they said to me to search for you. I have two objectives now: help you all to defeat Nebilim and learn to live again. I called you two to ask: would you help me in my second objective?"

Colette and Regal looked one to another. Thought Merilius said he was asking, his tone was a pleading one. The blond angel and the company president could also catch a tint of determination in the Children of the Light's voice. The light warrior continued:

"Colette, since your birth you have been said your existence was to be sacrificed for the sake of the world and even so you lived as much as you could, without fearing your future. Regal, you once committed a terrible crime against one that you loved. You searched and achieved to get your revenge upon the one that forced you into killing and after that you still living when many seeking the same as you would think there isn't a point in stay living after took what they seek.

"It's seeing this that I decided to choose you two. You lived situations that many would have give up in living and gave themselves to sorrow and even insanity. It's because of this that I ask for you to help me to learn again how to live."

The two companions stayed in silence as Merilius ended his speech. Colette and Regal got flushed by the Children of the Light had chosen them just by the fact that they had passed by all that hardships and didn't give up in living.

The two heroes gave their word that they would help. This drew a smile from the light warrior. Colette then started by talking in her usual tone:

"I don't think there is a right way to live, but I think everybody should enjoy their lives the way they are.", the blond angel and the former convict stood. They knelled near the flowerbed and Merilius did the same. "For example, everybody can enjoy the beauty of things like flowers or puppies or even good stories."

Merilius looked to the said flowers. They seemed so tranquil, like they didn't have any worry in the world. Like Nebilim's shadow wasn't a menace to them. But such tranquility seemed impossible for Merilius to be achieved. There would always be menaces to fight against and to fear.

"How can someone even stop to pay attention to these things when there are missions and duties to accomplish and fights to be fought?", the Children of the Light asked.

"If we want, we can find time to do it. There's always time to do what we like.", Colette said, assuring the magic swordsman with one of her warm smiles.

"Yes. Life isn't made entirely of duties and missions, it's also made of good moments.", Regal said, entering in the talk. "If we don't have moments to stop and relax from the daily stress, we succumb to the burdens we carry. It's because of it that everybody have their heaven, their sanctuary."

Regal's words were deep and wise. Merilius reflected about it. A heaven from the worries of the daily work... he never thought about something like that and he doubt that Nebilim, being around him all the time through the Devil's Arms, would even allow him find such place. Another doubt also came to the magic swordsman:

"But if people found a place like this, wouldn't they want to stay there and abandon their duties?"

"A sanctuary didn't need to be a place. It can be anything, even people. But what you say it's true. There are people that prefer to stay always in calmness and don't try to venture in the unexpectedness of the live and there are those who prefer to don't have any responsibility. It comes from your conscience to know when the hour for you to come back to your duties is. That is the difference between the responsible and the irresponsible ones.", Regal explained.

"Yeah. Take a break is good, but work hard for something you want and like is also very good. You can't stay without do something. If you did, you'll be skipping all the good things that could happen while you're working.", Colette said.

The Children of the Light recognized they were right. Just he could know when the right time to go back to his duties was. Merilius knew he wasn't an irresponsible person, he was the exact contrary of that. He got his missions serious, even too much serious.

"Work constructs the character.", it was what his aunt once taught to him. "One that doesn't work, isn't a complete person."

That lessons... he thought he had even forgot them after all Nebilim made him pass through. Those were lessons about the life. Again, Merilius realized that if there was someone who could help him to regain the control over his own life and remember those important lessons, these ones were Lloyd and his friends...

* * *

I know that some Gesea fans might want to kill me now, but before you jump to conclusions let me say the story between these two doesn't end here. I still have some plans for the two, but I won't get them too far in their relationship.

I mean, like Gnome would say: hellloooo. The two are practically children, in a way or another, and I don't think we should get too deep while they still in this age. Like Presea said, they still have much time ahead.

Well, that's all. Wait another chapter before the end of the year!


	39. Do I Deserve You?

Hey people, happy new year!!!^^

As the promissed here's the last chpater of this year, so enjoy. The next will be the last of the interlude chapters and then we can begin one of the final parts of the fic!

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* * *

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**Chapter 39**

**Do I deserve you?**

In a nearby meadow, in the plane of the Summon Spirits, Luna spoke with someone through some kind of portal. After have an recess to the meet, some Summon Spirits went back to the living world to manage the mana flows that still damaged while others still in that plane.

Luna asked for Aska to work on the mana flow for her. Since the two entities had the same purpose and knowledges, one of them was enough to manage the mana flows, but, due the fact the mana flows that carried the mana of light were some of the most numerous, it was comprehensible why there was two Summon Spirits of light.

The illuminated entity also didn't want for Aska to be nearby while she spoke with the person she was contacting. She knew how Aska was always overprotective about that subject. So overprotective that sometimes she found herself with the urge of shout at him to leave her alone or even smash her staff at the heads of the two-headed bird.

"So how's your reunion doing? I remember you all are some like a really strange family, mainly when you reunite.", the speaker of the other side of the portal spoke, smiling as he remembered of the several discussions he witnessed.

"It was good, until Undine suggested we called that ancient ally of ours. The one thee made that pact without knowing.", Luna said.

"How would I know it was just I defeat a Great Demon to obtain a pact with him, even if it wasn't me who summoned him first. I rediscovered the summoning arts of spirits of the living world, not demons. This was Nebilim's business."

Luna giggled at the speaker's reply. It made some time since the last she talked with him and the embodiment of the light was already missing his humor sense. She remembered the last they spoke was before Origin was sealed and the world was dying while they waited for Derris-Kharlan to enter in the planet's orbit. Even in that serious situation, he was able to draw a smile from her.

"Still with the same beautiful smile that I always loved.", the person at the other side of the portal spoke.

"Hey. I'm a Summon Spirit, I'm eternal, of course I would still the same thee know.", the Light of the Heavens said, trying to recover her pose, but failed to hide the blush.

"Yeah, I can see it. And you still blushing when I complement you. You're so pretty when you do that, to not say funny.", the speaker gave a low laugh.

"Oh, shut up Vallor!", Luna said, getting some of annoyed by the taunts of the ancient hero.

Even before the two of them got to know each other better, Vallor caught Luna blushing even when he gazed at her in the past, when he was young, and in that situation he also blushed. If there was a couple stranger than them, they would deserve a place in the story.

Luna had a great trouble to convince Origin and the other Summon Spirits to allow her to stay with Vallor and the hero himself had a great trouble to convince _himself_ that he was even worthy of date a Summon Spirit. Luna said that he had a complex of inferiority, or something, because he was the first half-elf and he didn't know what exactly he was.

"So, how is our child? The last I heard about him was by Origin and he said to me that Martel had to slap him to realize what he made with his own life. Is that true?", Vallor asked.

"Yes. He's as stubborn as thee when in his age.", Luna said, now smirking as she saw Vallor blushing a little. "But he's alright now. He joined with the new heroes and they're helping him to learn to live again."

"Then it seems I have a debt with them. If there was a way for me to pay or even help them. All this trouble they're passing is my fault... if I haven't let my feelings cloud my judgment...", Vallor spoke.

The only regret that Vallor had was, in the moment that he needed the most, he let his heart interfere with his duty. He let Nebilim live. Live to return and make people suffer again. Though Vallor didn't leave this regret put him down even after his death, he still bearing that in the bottom of his heart.

"Maybe there is a way for you to do so, Vallor.", a firm, solemn voice spoke, making Luna turn to see Origin coming. "Hello old friend.", the King of the Summon Spirits greeted the ancient hero through the portal.

"Good to see you out of your seal Origin.", Vallor greeted back. "But, forgive me, what did you mean with 'there is a way'?"

The supreme spirit smiled before answer. Anyone that knew Origin could guess that when the great King smiled, it meant he had something in mind that could help to solve a great problem. Hope lit in the hearts of the female, illuminated entity and the ancient hero as Origin spoke:

"You may see, Lord Vallor. You may see.", Origin then turned to Luna. "Let's go back. I already called the others. It's time for me to reveal the plan..."

- - - - -

When Lloyd encountered Sheena, the two went to one of the nearby living rooms. He told her about Hilda and Merilius suspects about the... bridge thing and the talk they had about the elves had forgot Nebilim and Vallor. The female ninja couldn't say she was shocked by that, but it was impressive how those elves could be so selfish sometimes.

Sheena then told to Lloyd about her own, little investigation. At the final of her narrative about her talk with Zelos, Lloyd was mouth agape. His former teacher and the pervert Chosen... liking each other! That was so crazy that he wouldn't have believed if someone had told him.

As Lloyd asked several times if Sheena was certain (asking five times, until his brain could accept and process the information), almost making the ninja got annoyed. Colette then appeared in the living room and went to the two.

"I'm sorry. I had to help Merilius before I could come here. He's wanting to learn to live again, isn't this good?", the blond Chosen said, smiling and putting her hand's together in the prayer-like way.

"Yeah, it is. I always thought he seemed so depressed with that talk of 'the Devil's Arms are my responsibility' and 'I need to recover my honor'.", Sheena commented.

The summoner then asked to Colette about her talk with Raine. To their surprise, Colette told that she started by talking about the times she was saved by them and that now she was the one saving her friends with her new powers. Lloyd and Sheena smirked, Raine wouldn't suspect for Colette had the habit to throw subjects and go right to the point.

The blond girl said that when she touched the subject about Raine been saved by Zelos and how the red headed warrior seemed really caring about her well-being she caught Raine blushing. Lloyd stayed in awe at hearing that.

"The Professor Sage? Blushing?! Man I should have been there to see this.", Lloyd spoke in a lively tone. He never saw his teacher blushing before, but he was sure that should be funny to see, if not dangerous.

Sheena also found that really funny. The female ninja then started to combine with them how they would get the two to talk with each other about their feelings. Colette suggested they made the two encountered in a place that they liked, but Lloyd immediately discarded the hypothesis:

"Colette, the only place that Professor seemed to like was Asgard or other ruin and I'm sure this isn't Zelos' idea of a good place."

Sheena knew what kind of place Zelos liked, but it was totally out of question. Raine hated the sea, so she wouldn't go even near the beach. The other was the Casino in Altamira, but Raine wasn't the kind of person that liked to bet. There was a third option, but that was so ridiculous that nobody in his perfect sense would think in that.

With that they decided it was better they stay in the base, which was a neutral terrain at least. Then other question came, how would they make for the two to encounter each other? Lloyd came with the idea of give a present to Raine. Sheena agreed, since that seemed a thing that Zelos normally would do.

"But how will we make for Zelos to give a present to Professor Raine?", Colette asked.

"Well, the present isn't so difficult. We all know what Professor likes.", the next word they all said together. "Ruins."

"I know how to make Zelos give this to Raine, leave this part with me. Now Colette do you think you can attract Raine to some room in this base that has a good mood?", Sheena questioned.

Colette nodded, saying she knew a part of the base where they could talk and don't be interrupted. The angel then told to them about the garden inside the base and how to go to there. The Chosen One also said she could attract Raine to there, saying she found some specie of plant that she didn't know what was.

"Hey. Why can't I attract the Professor?", Lloyd whimpered, he wanted to play some part in that little scheme of theirs.

"Because it would be too much suspicious you suddenly ask to Raine something that have to do with study. She's not that oblivious to don't find it strange.", Sheena replied. Lloyd blushed, embarrassed.

With all settled, it was decided that Lloyd would distract Genis. They had fear that if the little half-elf saw his sister with Zelos, he could do something that would spoil all. The trio then separated, each one going to their respective target.

- - - - -

Merilius was sat in one of the rocky islands around the coast of Flanoir, reflecting about all he had been told, reflecting about the lessons he was relearning. He felt like he was a child again. A child who was being taught about life and how it was.

It was strange. He didn't feel like that since a long time ago, more precisely when he and his uncles entered in that infernal Gaorachia Forest. Now he didn't know if it felt right to be like this. He was a Children of the Light, one of the cursed warriors that sworn to defend the world against anything that might threat the peace and the stability.

_You don't need to do all by yourself..._, Luna's saying echoed in Merilius' mind.

She was right, he needed to stop and relax a little. He was also a living being and, as Martel, Luna and even Colette said, life was to be live at the fullest and not to be faced as a burden.

While he thought about these things, Merilius felt someone approaching. The mana wasn't of someone he knew as an enemy, so he didn't even touch his Runeblade. The Children of the Light saw a hand coming from below and grabbing the flat surface of the rock.

Yuan climbed the rock formation. He was panting like he had traveled at foot and by sea like a normal person. Merilius questioned himself why the former Kharlan hero hadn't used his wings to simply fly to the rock where he was.

"Phew. Did you always have all this work to climb these things?", Yuan asked.

The light warrior smirked, so Yuan tried to climb the rock in the way he thought Merilius made. The Renegades' leader now found that it wasn't as easy as it seemed, even with a Cruxis Crystal.

"No. Generally I teleport.", Yuan sighed and sat aside Merilius. "Why are you here? Don't you have anything more interesting to do then keep the tabs on me?"

"I'll ignore this. I heard of your 'class' about life with Colette and Duke Bryant.", Yuan said. Merilius blinked, like the fact that Yuan got to know that from one of them didn't surprise him. "I must admit that I got surprised for your choice of those two."

"I could have asked to you, but it seems you didn't completely got over with all that happened in you life.", Merilius replied.

"Watch it Merilius.", Yuan warned.

The two stayed in silence for some time. It was an almost awkward situation, see the two sat, besides one another, with serious faces and without say anything. Merilius didn't care about Yuan's cold behavior with him, he knew how the former Seraphim could be resentful.

"You did well in choose Colette.", Yuan said, out of nowhere, attracting Merilius' attention. The younger half-elf arched his eyebrow in confusion. "She faced things that nobody in her age should. Used by Yggdrasil and then Nebilim... I don't understand how she still stands after all of this."

"Her heart is strong. Stronger than even ours. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to release herself from Nebilim's control.", Merilius said.

"Yeah... she has...", Yuan murmured.

Something in the former Seraphim's tone caught Merilius' attention. Was that admiration? Yuan talked with such confidence about Colette's hardships that the Children of the Light could bet he knew exactly how all of that was.

Yuan seemed to have affection for Colette. From what Merilius heard, the leader of the Renegades helped her in releasing from Nebilim's grip. Why would the stoic angel help the blond, smiling girl the way he did? The magic swordsman found that subject really interesting.

"What do you feel about her?", Merilius asked to Yuan, who looked to him, confused. "About Colette. You seem really protective about her, much like a father I would say."

"It's... none of you business.", Yuan replied, but his answer was so weak that it was like a declaration that he was ling. It was like Yuan himself couldn't find strength to deny that.

"I see. So you do see her like some kind of daughter.", the magic swordsman spoke, smirking as Yuan blushed a little. "Is it because she's some like Martel and have the same beliefs that her, or is it because of something more?"

The former Seraph didn't reply immediately, he was trying to find the best words to describe it. He didn't feel like that towards someone by so much time that he even forgot what it was like. Colette was just like him: she suffered because of who she was, she was used to satisfy the others' selfish desires and, ultimately, she was an angel.

Yuan didn't know how many years she would live because of the crystal. What if she lived for many millenniums, like him? She would watch all of her friends die as the time passed, without affect her. She was strong, it was true, but would she be strong enough to face the eternity.

The Renegades' leader didn't even notice he said those thoughts aloud. He tried to hide his embarrassment, but failed when his cheeks betrayed him by blushing. Indeed, Yuan thought it was his duty to make sure Colette would be happy, even if she lived forever, just like him. If it wasn't to feel like a father, then he didn't know what it was like.

"So you want Colette to have a life better than yours. Now this is what I would call of care about someone. Thought, I can't say that in your case it's a good thing.", Merilius chuckled, playing and earning an ugly look from Yuan that latter turned into a death glare. The magic swordsman found he felt uneasy by that. "Not that you wouldn't do a good father! I was just..."

"Look, it's better you stop before you say any other stupidity. And what so if I want Colette have a good life. Her family and friends won't live forever, you know? Nobody knows better to deal with loneliness than me. And yes, I think her is some of alike Martel and since the two have the same mana signature I could even say Colette is in a way Martel's children.", Yuan spoke in a rather energetic tone, not allowing Merilius to interrupt him.

The Children of the Light got some of surprised at that. Yuan... The Yuan... caring about someone like she was his daughter?! If it wasn't for him to be right there, Merilius wouldn't have believed in it. Like Colette and Regal said in their little class: life is full of surprises.

The former Kharlan hero even used his energetic tone, the one he used to defend an idea that he believed. Merilius knew better than to argue with Yuan about this. If the Renegades' leader really believed that Colette was in a way Martel's daughter and that he should care and protect her like a father would do, then nobody could convince him of the contrary.

Merilius couldn't help, but smile at Yuan. It seemed the cold headed, calculative half-elf had a soft heart after all. When the former Seraphim asked why Merilius was "smiling like a complete fool", he answered:

"Don't worry. I won't tell to anyone what you feel about Colette.", Yuan opened his mouth to reply, but shut it without mutter a single word. "But I think she would be really happy to know someone older likes her like a daughter and is inclined to help her to pass through the hard, immortal life of an angel."

Yuan stayed quiet at that. Knowing Colette, she would feel honored by he consider her like his and Martel's daughter and that he was inclined to help her with the problems that might appear in an abnormally long life. Though, before Yuan could think more, he heard a laugh being held, followed by an added comment of Merilius:

"Daddy Yue!", Merilius fell, laughing hard. It was a rather unique scene see Merilius laughing like that, but Yuan's thoughts were far away from that.

_THAT'S IT! HE'S A DEAD MAN!!!_, Yuan's mind screamed as several veins appeared in his forehead and he drew his double-edged saber, going to the attack.

Merilius recovered in time to see Yuan advancing at him, fuming. He immediately held his Runeblade at his front and the crystal at the hilt shone with intensity, blinding Yuan and giving to the Children of the Light the chance to scape.

When the light extinguished, by all over the frozen coast of Flanoir, the frenetic screams of a very angry Yuan could be heard:

"COME BACK HERE YOU COWARD, SO I'LL MAKE YOU SHALLOW THIS RUNEBLADE OF YOURS!!!"

- - - - -

One day latter, Zelos had finally got the medallion he heard about, when he eavesdropped a talk between Lloyd and Sheena. They were saying that Raine heard words about it, but couldn't go and search due it was in the old sanctuary of Undine, inside the destroyed Thoda Geyser, and after what she passed through, the last thing she wanted was to go out in the sea and face a possibly flooded dungeon, even if it was "for the sake of the knowledge".

Zelos sighed, relieved to don't hear anything that might indicate Sheena had told his secret to Raine, so he parted to the geyser. Luckily, Yuan hadn't asked too much about Zelos absence. It seemed like the stoic half-elf didn't even notice that Zelos had left for an entire day. Well, that didn't matter.

The red headed looked to the jewel at his hand: a beautiful medallion made out of gold, with several patterns and marks of a culture that Zelos didn't know and a blue-sky stone in the center. It was the type of jewel that someone of great importance, like a princess or a high priest, would use, or so Zelos thought.

While the swordsman angel thought on that, he didn't pay attention to where he was going and hit Merilius, making them two to fall, together with the medallion. Zelos apologized and while the Children of the Light stood, he caught the sight of the medallion. Before Tethe'alla's Chosen One could recover the jewel, Merilius snatched the medallion and looked to it.

"Where did you get this?", Merilius asked, with a surprised voice.

"I got this on Thoda Geyser. I searched much and I had to dive in the lake of the room of the seal to get it, so could I have it back, please?", Zelos answered, some of fast, and stretched the arm with an open hand.

Merilius ignored the request, studying the jewel. When Zelos started to think that the light warrior wanted to get the jewel for himself, he prepared to fight for it, but a question from the Children of the Light stopped him:

"Do you know what is this?", Zelos shook the head. "This is the Sea's Eye. According to the ancient elven legends, it was used by one of the first elven tribes to communicate with Undine and study the mana of water. The stone in the center is a shard of Aquamarine, Undine's gem.", Merilius explained.

"Wait. Are you saying this is a relic that was used by an ancient elven tribe that researched the water mana?", Zelos asked, almost didn't believing that relic could be all what Merilius spoke. The half-elf nodded in confirmation.

_JACKPOOOOOTTTTTTT!!!_, Zelos cheered mentally.

The angel couldn't believe in his luck. He had just found what could possibly be a legendary relic. Raine would give jumps of joy when he handed the jewel to her.

Snatching away the medallion from Merilius' hands, Zelos held it like it was the most precious thing in the world. The light warrior got surprised at Zelos' action, the pervert Chosen One never showed that kind of interest in items from the elves' story.

"Well, if is that so, then I'll give it to a specialist.", the red headed swordsman spoke.

Before Merilius could reply Zelos shot to the corridor, in search for Raine. After ask to some nearby Renegades and even some of his friends, Zelos discovered that Raine was in a garden inside the base. Taking the direction of the heaven, the adult Chosen found the half-elven teacher there, talking to Colette.

The blond girl was asking to the healer about every type of plant she saw, even some that she had already pointed. Raine answered most of Colette's question, she knew the girl could be some of slow to catch the things and was really curious.

_At least her grades were good._, Raine thought when she remembered about Colette in the school. _But, why is she asking to me about plants? I'm an archaeologist not a biologist._

Before Raine could think more about it, she heard someone clear the throat behind her. Turning, the female half-elf found Zelos. He was with a smile in his face, but it wasn't his typical, idiot smile or the naughty one, it was a different one. It was the one Zelos gave when he talked about his true thoughts.

The pervert Chosen approached to Raine, who found herself getting some of nervous at staying at his front. Thinking quickly, the teacher spoke to Colette:

"Why don't you go and search for some flowers, dear?", Colette nodded and left the two alone. Raine didn't notice the giggle Colette gave when she was moving away. "So, do you want to talk something to me?", the half-elven woman asked, sounding normal.

"Not really. A little bird told to me that you wanted something.", before Raine could ask what the red headed Chosen was talking about, he showed to her the golden medallion.

The half-elf's eyes widened as she saw the patterns and the stone in the medallion. Catching the relic, Raine looked to it, astonished. During her work in Sybak, she started to become acquaintance with some ancient elven legends that were described in the runes she traduced. One of them talked about a medallion that was used by an ancient elven tribe to speak with Undine.

The archaeologist immediately recognized the jewel when she saw it, but she couldn't believe it. How did Zelos just get that? Raine tried to ask to him, but she found her ability to speak was severely damaged by the surprise, reducing her to stutter.

Guessing what she was asking, Zelos explained his little adventure in the sanctuary inside the Thoda Geyser. He told how he flew to the destroyed island and entered in the cave, which the entrance miraculously wasn't flooded, his search around the dungeon, which conduced him to the seal room, and how he saw the shine of the medallion inside the lake in the seal room and dove to catch it.

Raine smiled at hearing that. Nobody had ever did something like that for her, even Lloyd and Genis. The last person she waited to do something like that to her was Zelos. She always thought the perverted, lazy Chosen would never go and do some king of hard work without wait for a reward, but there he was, proving the contrary to her with that gesture. The half-even teacher knew he wasn't even twisting the story. She knew the Geyser wasn't open to visitation since its destruction.

"I see that you liked my present. I'm glad.", Zelos said, still with that true smile.

"Why did you do this for me?", Raine asked, pocketing the relic.

"Well... to make you happy, of course!", Zelos answered, but the initial hesitation said to Raine that it wasn't this answer the one he wanted to give.

Suddenly, the irrigation of the garden was activated. As the plants were wet a slight scent of dew was released. If Raine wasn't so concentrated in get a concrete answer from Zelos, she would found that a rather strange.

The red headed Chosen tugged his collar, swallowing. He knew he couldn't deceive Raine, she was far too smart for him to do so. Zelos then saw he had just two options, stay in silence and wait until Raine got tired of that or speak the truth.

"Hum... let's just say that... well... hehe.... you know....", Zelos spoke, trying to come up with something.

The Chosen soon found out that he was incapable of say anything that wasn't true. Was that effect of the mood around that garden, or was the scent of dew having some mysterious effect on him? He didn't know and Raine still gazing him, waiting for an answer.

_Oh, screw it! It's now or never! The worst she can do is speak what I already know._, Zelos thought.

Launching to the air any further delaying Zelos got to the point:

"Ok. You want to know why I did it, I'll speak. It's because I'll do anything to see you smile, even if it meant to let you go with another guy! It's because I think you deserve to be happy and don't suffer! It's... it's because... I like you and I care you like I never cared anyone before!", Zelos said, trying to maintain a calm and controlled tone, but failing miserably in the last sentence.

Raine almost had her heart to stop. Zelos liked and cared her. If the gesture of he went and get that unique medallion just for her wasn't a prove of that, then she didn't know what could be considered a prove. He was dedicating more attention to her than she ever saw he dedicate to anyone before.

Zelos was sweating of so nervous as he saw the expression on Raine's face, or was it the water of the irrigation that was shooting some drops to his face? Who cared?! He had said what he was sure he never said before to any other woman. No. The others were just fun, just smalls conquers for his ego.

Raine was different. He really cared for her and was even inclined to leave her go if it made her happy. And he was sure she would. After all that they passed through, Zelos stilled the same. Still acting like the same insensible idiot. Nobody would in such conscience have something serious with him. Dang! Analyzing it, even he wouldn't accept himself!

_I should just go. She deserves something better than me._, Zelos thought, recovering his pose.

When the red headed warrior turned to go, Raine grab his wrist. He looked to her, surprised. Wasn't it what she wanted? To him leave her? Then he saw another thing on the half-elven teacher's face. It was admiration. Her expression seemed to be the one of pleasing surprised.

"Did you really mean this?", Raine asked, a bright smile in her face, which got Zelos confused.

"What would you say if I said 'yes'?", Zelos asked back, some of unsure, what reflected in his low voice tone.

Fear, surprise, hope... these and other emotions were all rushing inside Zelos' heart. He already felt each one of them before, but not in this way. Not all at once. It was definitely something new to him. Something he never felt before at anyone.

"I would say that I'm surprised and happy. Happy to see that, after all, you are a good person.", Raine answered, making Zelos' heart gave a jump. "I always thought that you never took anything serious. Not in the matter of relationships, at least. But you proved me to be wrong. You can dedicate yourself to someone if you want to do so. You can show to someone that what you want isn't just fun. You can even make someone to feel special."

"Do you really think I'm all of that?", Zelos asked, not believing what he was hearing that.

"I don't think, I know. And the prove is here.", Raine took the medallion out of her pocket. Zelos looked to her, confused. The healer explained. "It's not about the medallion itself, but about what it represents. About your gesture for to go and take it to me. You did that without second intentions. You dedicated yourself to do something that wasn't a duty. You did this so willingly that I'm even wondering if I deserve someone like you.", Raine left Zelos' arm go and looked to the ground. Now it was her who was expecting to see if Zelos would leave.

The red headed Chosen stood struck by the speech. Did he hear it right? Raine was thinking it was her who didn't deserve him! It was as surprising as it sounded absurd, but he heard that right. Recovering Zelos said:

"What are you saying?! You deserve it! It's me who doesn't deserve you. You're intelligent, caring, responsible, beautiful and much more. Just a complete idiot wouldn't see the incredible person you are!", Raine looked to him, again seeming pleasely surprised.

"Did I hear it right? You didn't say beautiful as my first attribute.", the half-elven teacher said, playfully.

"What? Did you want me to say it?", Zelos said, now with his typical smile.

"Maybe...", Raine said, with the indicator finger on her chin while approached of Zelos. "If you answer my questions correctly..."

When the swordsman angel was about to say "send the first", he was silenced by Raine's lips touching his. At that moment, Zelos realized what the "question" she meant was as he returned the kiss.

The two stayed in the garden, surrounded by the wet plants and the sweet scent of dew. Maybe, they weren't the best people in the world, but, at least, they knew they were capable of make each other happy...

Two figures peeped from the corridor the two kissing figures in the wet garden. They smiled as they saw how their work had gone well. Maybe it wasn't even necessary for them to activate the garden's irrigation.

The two decided to leave Zelos and Raine with themselves. As they left, giggling, the blond girl said:

"It was just perfect. I feel so good to reunite the two. Maybe with have the gift!", Colette said, animated.

"Don't let it get to your head Colette. And we weren't playing cupid or anything. We were just... giving to their feelings a little push.", Sheena said, grinning.

As they walked back to encounter Lloyd, who was with Genis at the rooms, a question came to Colette. How did Sheena and Lloyd know where the Sea's Eye was? When Colette asked that to Sheena, the female ninja giggled before answer:

"Let's just say an _aquatic _friend of mine gave me a tip when I asked."


	40. What the Future Stores

New year, new chapter. The last of the interlude chapters.

I have just to say: enjoy!^^

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Chapter 40

**What the Future Stores**

Snow fell in that night like rain, but it wasn't enough to cover the streets of Flanoir. Two figures walked around the city, observing the peaceful, white scenery, hands united. They smiled as they remembered of the old times in the city. The snowballs fight, the plays around the ice sculptures...

"How much time it makes since the last we came here to relax, Lloyd? Save by our little visit in that disaster with the elemental shadows, of course.", Sheena asked, with a sweet look to the Eternal Swordsman.

"I don't know. It seems almost like an eternity, after all we passed through.", Lloyd said, smiling to her.

"You know, you're very handsome when you smile.", Sheena said, using a tone as sweet as her look.

"Same to you."

They strolled a little more, before arrive in the balcony overlooking the snowy city. As they leaned against the fence of that spot, Sheena asked to Lloyd about his projects to the future. The swordsman stayed with a thoughtful expression on his face, until he said:

"I don't really know. I never thought about this before. Maybe I should take dad's business on as a craftsman. I mean, now that he came back to the other dwarves and I have the house..."

"Oh... so that's your plan...", Sheena said, in a deceptive tone.

Lloyd asked why she was like that, but the female ninja said it was nothing. The red clad boy, however, pressed on:

"I know you better than anyone and I know when you're hiding something. Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"

The summoner stayed in silence. She didn't want to ruin Lloyd's plans for the future if that was his desire. It would be too much selfishness from her part to force Lloyd into accept her will if he already had an idea of what he wanted to do in the future.

The Eternal Swordsman got worried at seeing Sheena's expression. Did he say something wrong? That suspense was killing him, but Sheena seemed to much reluctant to answer. Then an idea came to the dual-swordsman. Putting his best sad face and puppy eyes, Lloyd said, in an apologetic tone:

"I'm sorry if I offended you Sheena, but please talk to what I said of wrong."

That look... Sheena couldn't resist to that look. The next chief of Mizuho knew Lloyd was playing a dirty trick on her, but she simply couldn't help, but feel the urge to make Lloyd smile and don't show that sad expression anymore. Combined with the puppy eyes, that was the biggest mortal weapon Lloyd could have against her.

_Man, I'm too much softhearted for my own good. This will still kill me someday, or at least put me in a big trouble together with Lloyd._, Sheena thought. For some reason, the idea of being in a trouble with the guy she loved didn't sound so bad.

"Well... it's that... I was... hum...", Sheena stuttered, don't knowing if she should tell what she thought to him or maintain it that way. However, when Lloyd looked to her with that expression again, she couldn't resist anymore. "It's that I hoped... that maybe you could... hum... I mean if you want to... to go to Mizuho with me."

After say that, Sheena looked to the other side, not finding courage to face Lloyd. She stayed like that for some time and, little by little, she turned her head to him again. To her surprise, the Eternal Swordsman showed a great smile in his face and one of the happiest expressions she ever saw on him.

"Sure. I would be really happy to go to Mizuho with you.", Lloyd said, grinning.

"Are you certain? I don't want to force you to do anything if you already have plans and...", before Sheena could continue, Lloyd silenced her with a passionate kiss. Losing and forgetting her next words, the female ninja returned the kiss.

The two stayed kissing for some minutes until broke from one another, breathing deeply. For the grand summoner, that gesture meant just one thing: Lloyd wanted to be with her.

"You dork.", the dual-swordsman said, recovering his breath from the intense kiss. Sheena tilted her head to the side. "I said to you, I didn't have any clear idea of what to do, so I'll go with you if you want."

"Of course I want!", Sheena said, now blushing as Lloyd smiled the same smile she found so handsome. "You know, you could work on Mizuho. We don't have many craftsmen or blacksmiths, so we could use your abilities.", Lloyd almost couldn't contain his happiness at hearing that. He would stay together with Sheena and do something he was good in at the same time. "Or you could even turn into a professor of swordsmanship. Many of us don't use anything heavier or longer than a dagger as weapon and we have an entire stock of katanas unused, so your abilities and your stile could do much success."

"Really?! Cool! Then I'll be Professor Irving.", Lloyd spoke. It seemed that day was full of many good surprises. The female ninja smiled by seeing her lover so exciting at the idea.

Without Lloyd knowing, Sheena already had sent some letters to her grandfather about that subject, she wanted to be sure, before propose anything to Lloyd, that there wouldn't be any problem in the boy going to live with her in the village. The female ninja received the answer some days latter.

The chief had made some kind of research amongst the other denizens of Mizuho. Igagury didn't use any names or specific situation, according to his letter of answer. He just asked to his people if they would accept and even follow a hero, if this hero decided to join to their people and had the chief's approbation. To his granddaughter's joy, many said they would be honored and didn't mind, if this hero was really someone that Igagury judged of confidence, then they would believe in the chief's decision.

Sheena couldn't contain her joy at reading those words. The female ninja also laughed a little at seeing the note at the bottom of the answer letter: "Rumors already started to spread". If her people was gossiping about a rather suspect question, she could just imagine what they would say once they saw who was the hero and with who he was.

"In our village, you would be a sensei, Lloyd.", Sheena explained to her boyfriend. "But before, you would need to train with our warriors to earn the necessary respect and experience to become a sensei."

"Then I'll be a ninja. Wow, this is awesome! Will you teach to me who to disappear with those smoke bombs and all?"

Sheena just started to think if all this enthusiasm would survive after some days of fighting against Lloyd's habit to get bothered after the first impression. Anyway, she was certain that Lloyd could easily learn all her village's arts if he dedicated himself. At least the practical part.

"It won't be me who will teach you Lloyd, for I'm not a sensei. But...", Sheena approached him and hugged Lloyd's waist, speaking the next lines in an almost seductive voice. "I can give to you some classes if you want.", Lloyd blushed at Sheena's tone and action, scratching his head. Man, that woman knew how to get him all shy near her.

The female ninja giggled at Lloyd's expression. The two of them really knew how to get the other to blush like a school girl. As Lloyd recovered from her little prank, she inclined to kiss him again, since she was slightly taller than him and he had grew some centimeters in the last year.

Whatever they would do in the future, one thing they knew: they would do it together.

- - - - -

Colette and Merilius faced each other, weapons at hand. The battlefield was a great room, with sufficient space to put Colette's house in and there would still be space. It was the gym, where the recruits of the Renegades trained their initial lessons, before have field training.

Colette gripped her Angel Halo at hand. It was one of her best pair of chackrans, but she wasn't certain if it could match with Merilius' Runeblade. The adult half-elf said she dealt with him very easily while she was possessed by Nebilim, but Colette wasn't sure if it was just her power, or if Nebilim was helping through the Evil Eye.

Merilius said he wanted to train with Colette and teach to her what he knew about manipulation of mana of light. The Children of the Light was certain he could help Colette to improve that ability, which would be very useful when they finally invaded Nebilim's Fortress. Colette was good on control light due her angel abilities, but that abilities only gave to her a superficial control over the element.

To one use the true power of light it was necessary for this one to be approved by Luna and have affinity with that element. Mithos was once able to do that, but after took control over the two worlds and began Cruxis he lost some of that power. But the insane hero didn't even notice that, due he already had all the power he needed with the Eternal Sword.

Colette was one of the few light bearers to exist that have all the necessary requirements to be taught the arts of control over the light. First, Merilius needed to know what point she reached without instruction for then to teach her the deepest parts of that knowledge field.

The sparring began when Merilius advanced, his Runeblade singing while cut the air to reach the girl. At the last minute, the magic swordsman enchanted the blade with light mana. As the weapon hit Colette's defenses, the two companions tried to push each other, in a duel of strengths. None seemed to have any type of advantage against the other.

When Merilius tried to shot the energy accumulated in his blade on the blond angel, Colette showed her wings and flew backwards, escaping from Merilius' blade edge as it completed the initial blow. The light warrior went to the attack again. Swinging his weapon, he missed when Colette flew up, using Ray Thrust on him.

Merilius deflected the chackran with a blow of his Runeblade, but wasn't fast enough to defend from the projectiles that Colette launched right after the first attack. As two projectiles hit the Children of the Light, lightning bolts fell upon him. The blond angel threw a shining sphere, which liberated several toy-like stars, which rained upon Merilius.

The dark-blue haired half-elf swing his weapon against the stars and the air around his blade formed a ball that shot against the stars, cutting each one, reducing the attack to nothing. Before Colette have time to think in another strategy, Merilius span in his place and cut the air between him and the white clad girl again, this time producing several light blades that shot against Colette.

The girl flew to avoid the flying blades. As the attack passed, Merilius teleported. Colette had a strange sensation, like the air around her was conducting someone concealed to behind her. The Chosen turned in time to see Merilius appearing, sword ready to strike and with light glowing around its blade.

Colette tried to defend, but the impact and the explosion of light that followed the hit pushed her to the ground. Merilius prepared to attack again, but the blond girl threw a spinning chackran at him in the Ray Satellite technique. The older warrior had to use his blade to stop the spinning chackran while Colette took distance from him.

"Very good.", Merilius said as he landed. "You surely have a good notion in how to use your techniques to distract, attack and defend. Now it's time for us to elevate the level. Use your light control technique to fight. Don't hold yourself back. I'm virtually immune against light, though Luna could easily break my defenses, but this isn't the case."

Colette nodded with an smile. She then called again the same feeling she had when she previously used that technique. The blond angel's hands and feet started to glow with light. Merilius then bowed in respect before start with the second round, Colette did the same.

The second part of the fight started with Colette throwing an enchanted chackran at Merilius, who batted it away with his sword again. Merilius casted a light spell against Colette, who avoided the light balls that flew against her. The Children of the Light then used Shining Seal on her.

Merilius waited for to see how Colette would react, she tried to break the spell, but it didn't budge. The Chosen didn't know what do to release herself, until an idea came to her: maybe she could absorb it. It was made out of mana of light after all.

Concentrating, Colette tried to "grab" the runes around her. When her glowing hand touched one of the magic shackles, she could feel the energy of the spell slipping into her by her hand. Then she felt the energy trying to overwhelm her. She had felt that before, in the angel transformation. Just by concentrating, Colette achieved to maintain the absorption at control.

When the spell was finally undone, Colette fell to her knees, panting. Absorb something like that wasn't a pleasant sensation after all. When the white clad girl recovered her breath, she heard someone clapping. Looking at her front, Colette saw it was Merilius.

"I must admit, it was impressive. Thought, if I had used the true power of this spell you would end up unconscious trying to absorb it.", Merilius said.

"I think I need more training on it then.", Colette said, showing one of her smiles.

"Indeed.", Merilius then assumed a battle stance again. "Ready?"

Once Colette nodded, Merilius went to the attack. The Runeblade was a mere blow as the Children of the Light swing it against the blond girl at his front. Colette had to enchant her chackrans for them to don't break with Merilius' strong blows.

When Colette was pushed back by a particularly strong blow from Merilius, the light warrior used Earth Rage on the Chosen One, pushing her back with the shock wave that sent rocks against her. The descendant of Luna quickly approached to the girl, using a strong blow on her again. Though Colette defended the attack of the magic swordsman, the strength of the blow threw her out of balance and made she lost one of the chackrans.

The Children of the Light brought his Runeblade to back. A tiny ball of light appeared at the point of the blade and "walked" through the blade until the hilt, increasing its size. Merilius then thrust the sword against Colette.

Before the blessed weapon hit its target, Colette, almost automatically, grab the sword with her left hand by its blade, stopping the attack. The two looked to each other, surprised by the sudden action. Recovering from the surprise and thinking quickly, Colette guarded her other chackran, held the blade with her two hands and started to spin, together with the Runeblade and Merilius.

A cyclone of white, blue and golden colors formed at the middle of the gym. Merilius was bind through his own blade and Colette was spinning at such speed that the half-elf couldn't stop to concentrate on think. Then the angel threw the blade and its master against the nearer wall.

Merilius' back encountered the metal wall with a hard impact, leaving a slight impression on it. With the impact he let his Runeblade go. After slide to the ground, Merilius, still some of dizzy, looked to up and saw a golden and white blur come to him. When the vision of the light warrior came to focus, he saw Colette, with a stretched fist, coming to his direction.

When the angel thought her victory was guaranteed, Merilius stretched his hand to her and held her knuckle when she reached him. The impact between the two sent a shock wave through the air, but it didn't affect the two fighting companions. Merilius smiled as Colette stopped in the air, startled.

"Not so fast.", he said.

When Colette tried to push against him she felt something repel her away. Yellow sparks ran through her body as she struggled to stand. When the blond angel recovered from the counter attack, Merilius was already stand and walking to catch his Runeblade from the ground. His pose and expression said the battle had over.

"You made well Colette.", Merilius said while he sheathed his Runeblade. "It seems I also still have some to learn about fighting with light bearers."

Merilius bowed to her again, Colette did the same. The two went to the exit, Colette thanked Merilius for the sparring.

"It was nothing. I had to pay in someway for our little 'classes'.", he said, blinking to the girl, who retributed with a warm smile. "Now let's go to some tranquil place for you to train your light manipulation."

"Merilius, can I ask you something?", the half-elf looked to Colette with a "go on" expression. "What did you just make back when you stopped my attack?"

"Oh that. I inverted the current of light mana in your body to repel you.", Colette looked to Merilius with an confused expression. "Well, let's just say that the mana of light in your body runs like a river. What I did was to change the direction that the water was running."

Colette understood. Merilius was really powerful when it came down to fight using the element light. Probably he could do that because of Luna's mana on him. Colette asked to him another question:

"And what you'll do after we win Nebilim? What are your plans to the future?"

"My plans? To be honest I have none. I don't know if I'll survive even after we defeat Nebilim.", Merilius spoke, chuckling with irony.

"You will. We will do everything for you to live!", Colette said with a determinate expression in her face.

Merilius smiled at the girl's attempt to assure him. They all were so determinate to help him and him think of himself as a lost cause. Colette taught to him that there was always hope. Maybe he could still live after all.

"You need to have hope Merilius. Believe in me, we will win Nebilim and you'll live.", the blond angel at Merilius' side said, trying to assure him.

Deciding to forget the subject for now, Merilius put up his best expression of confidence and said:

"Don't worry. Even if I go down, I won't go without put up a fight. Now why don't tell me what you will do?"

Colette stayed silent as they passed the corridors of the base. What she wanted, she knew too well, but what her could do to get it was her big question.

"I want to help people. I want to do something to help everybody to have a better life, but... I don't know how to do it... I just know that if I want to do it, I'll need to leave Iselia.", Colette spoke, in a low voice.

"So you know what you want to do, but don't know how.", Merilius summarized.

Colette nodded. It was the first time she spoke to someone about that fear she had. She never told even to Lloyd what were her desires for the future, she didn't want for him to worry about her. Strange. She promised she would never hide things from her friends again, yet she still hiding some secrets from them. Big secrets. Secrets about her decisions and her will to her life.

Merilius could understand what Colette was feeling. She wanted to do something, she knew what was necessary to do, but after that, she couldn't see a way to arrive where she wanted. It was just like he was before: walking in a dark, sad world, with an objective at his mind, but none road around to follow.

Now Merilius found that road, but Colette still lost. She still without an idea of which way she could take to arrive at her objective. Maybe he could help her. She helped him and still helping, it was the minimum he could do.

"If you want an advice, I can give to you some directions.", Merilius said. Colette looked to him, confused at what he said. "I mean I can help you in choose a way you can take to reach your objective.", Colette then made an "oh" of understanding. "There's several ways for you to help people and make their life better. For example, you can help the injured and sick like a nurse or a doctor. You can help the defenseless by becoming a soldier or a guard.

"Or you can choose another, uncommon path... like...", an idea clicked to Merilius. It was almost crazy, but, by all that he saw and heard, it could be the better for Colette. "Like joining the Renegades.", Colette now looked really surprised. "Think well Colette. You already know good part of the people in this organization, including the boss. You know how they work and for _[i]what[/i]_ they work: to help not just the half-elves, but also everybody."

Colette thought on that. She really knew now good part of the Renegades' staff and knew what their objectives were. A light seemed to lit for her. Why not the Renegades? Colette smiled as she let the idea adjust her mind. She knew what path she could take now.

The Children of the Light smirked as he saw Colette's happy face. When he entered in the Renegades he got to know that it was necessary two things for you to be accept in the organization: have the will to help people and know how to work in a team to accomplish your mission. The blond girl had the two things. She wanted to help people and she already faced dangers and challenges that gave to her much experience on how to act together with her teammates.

"All that you need is some more experience on how the Renegades acts, but that you acquire with the time. I'm _[i]sure[/i]_ that Yuan would gladly help you if you need.", Merilius said, chuckling after say the name of the Renegades' leader.

"Thanks Merilius. You really helped me.", Colette said to the Children of the Light, giving one of her best smiles.

"Glad to help. Now let's concentrate on your training..."

- - - - -

It was another day. Genis and Lloyd were sat in a comfortable couch in one of the many living rooms of Flanoir Base., discussing about their plans for the future and about their relationship with their pairs. The Eternal Swordsman told to his friend about Sheena's idea of him to go to Mizuho and help the village doing craft or blacksmith work or even becoming a ninja and sword master.

"Cool! You'll turn into a ninja, hu. But what about your house in Iselia?", Genis asked.

"Well, I could use it as a vacation house or something. You know, a place where we could go when we want to relax and stay some time away from the duties.", Lloyd said in his optimistic tone.

"In your case, you mean that you'll live there, no?", Genis taunted, earning a "hey!" from Lloyd.

Genis laughed a little at his friend's reaction. Taunt Lloyd was one of his biggest fun. The red clad boy then asked to the young warlock about his plans to the future. Genis said that after completing his studies in Sybak he would continue his quest to help half-elves in all the ways he could and with knowledge about how the law and justice worked, it would be easier.

The Eternal Swordsman then asked to the little half-elf about him and Presea. Genis sighed before talk about his confession to Presea and that she said she didn't feel ready for that type of relationship. Lloyd apologized for to bring this subject up, but Genis said it wasn't a problem.

"I understand her. I don't need to be rushy. We have much time, we still young.", Genis said, showing a smile.

"Good to see you're facing this in a good mood."

"But what about you and Sheena? Zelos makes comments about you two from time to time, but I don't think he's a good source of information."

After made a mental note to slap Zelos when met him, Lloyd told that he and his lover we're alright and still doing much of the same they did before they confess to each other. The red clad boy had the caution to don't tell the powerful magician about the matchmaker business he, Sheena and Colette played to Raine and Zelos.

As the two talked about another subjects of their daily routine, Merilius arrived, seeming very serious. The Children of the Light asked for to speak with Lloyd alone. Genis stood, saying he would go and see if Raine or Presea needed anything and went.

The light warrior sat in a nearby armchair and inclined his face closer to Lloyd, staying in silence for some time and putting his hands at the front of his face, forming a triangle. The Eternal Swordsman started to get nervous at Merilius' behavior. The older half-elf then spoke:

"What I'm going to say now I ask for you to not repeat to anybody, mainly for the one that this is about.", Lloyd got confused by the light warrior asked for him to do that, but nodded. "I discovered something about one person we know and I wanted to talk with you before I talk to her."

"A person we two know...", Lloyd reflected. Who did he and Merilius know that could have some kind of secret. "Is it Colette?", Merilius shook his head. "The Professor?", Merilius arched his eyebrow, confused, and even exclaiming "uh?". "Yuan? Genis? Presea?"

"No! It's Sheena! How can someone be so oblivious?!", Merilius said, almost shouting, but soon recovered his low, serious tone. "I discovered she's Amile.", Lloyd looked to Merilius with a confused expression on his face. "My cousin who disappeared when I and my uncles were attacked in Gaorachia Forest.", the Children of the Light said, sighing.

Lloyd's gears finally kicked in and the boy gasped in surprise. If Sheena was Merilius' cousin, that means she was a Children of the Light. When the eternal Swordsman started to think in how that was possible he remembered what Sheena said when they were trying to get her grandfather's spirit back to his body:

_"It's me, Sheena! Sheena, the child you found in Gaorachia Forest!"_

_She was found in Gaorachia and never knew her parents. She can summon, something that Merilius and all his family can do._, Lloyd analyzed mentally. Everything matched.

"I thought much about it and I found evidences that points to it. Like you already must have realized, she can summon, like all of my family. Vallor was the one to rediscover the principles of summoning, which were lost when the elves started to concentrate in establish pacific relations with the humans. The art has been passed down in Ishtar lineage. Sheena could have learn it from Mizuho, but showed much talent on it, what is natural between us due Luna's mana.

"She has the dagger that belonged to my uncles. They left it in her sheets before die. The dagger was forged in a similar way to my Runeblade, it was to be a protection to the other ramification of my family and I lost it together with her, when she disappeared in Gaorachia."

Another memory came to Lloyd. Verius, Corrine's reincarnation, called Sheena, when they first met, of descendant of the ones that controlled summoning. The Watcher of the heart could be referring to Vallor and his descendants.

_But if Sheena is of Merilius' family... the curse!_, Lloyd thought, now scarred.

When Lloyd asked about his fear to Merilius, the magic swordsman said that the curse may not be a problem, for Sheena had escaped from it when she was just a baby and she may not even belong to Vallor's family anymore.

"What do you mean 'she may not be to Vallor's family anymore'?", Lloyd asked.

"All of my family, when reach eight years, in the case of members with dominant human blood, started to be initiated in the arts of control of the light and being taught about our family's story. All of us receive a blessing, which was taught to us by Luna, that gave us protection against disease and other things that may threat our health and, consequently, our life, when we still very young. After eight we are baptized again to confirm ourselves as Children of the Light and descendants of Vallor, the protectors of the equilibrium of this world and our previous bless transforms in power.

"Though the curse was powerful enough to deny any little of protective bless we could have and kill us, Amile was protected against the curse and survived. But she was taken to Mizuho and I never got to know it. She passed the age she should start her training and I'm not sure if she can be considered a Children of the Light anymore, so...", Merilius didn't achieve to complete the sentence, due in that moment Lloyd started to shout at him.

"Who cares if she's not a Children of the Light?! She's your cousin! She survived and you are here, worried with something that she couldn't do anything about!"

The descendant of Luna motioned for Lloyd to low his tone before someone heard, but the boy seemed as irritated as he was back in Meltokio, when he heard about the elves erasing Vallor and Nebilim from the story.

The Eternal Swordsman couldn't believe that Merilius didn't tell such an important thing to Sheena just because he thought she didn't belong his family anymore, because she never started her training with them. Who did care about any stupid training? He should be happy to know that the cousin that he loved so much was alive and turned into a strong, beautiful woman.

When Lloyd told his thoughts to Merilius, the Children of the Light tried to argue back:

"But I don't even know if she's the baby I cared when I was young. What if she's not Amile anymore? I already lost her one time and if I...", again Lloyd interrupted Merilius.

"You don't have how to know. She was just a baby. She could even turn into the person she's today. Stop of stay here like a coward, worrying with pointless things and go tell this to her."

Lloyd seemed calmer now, but Merilius still with doubts about this. The Eternal Swordsman never knew how Amile was. She was a baby that always smiled when he told fairy tales to her or played with her. Since a younger age, she could feel how the mood of the environment around her and know why it was like this.

What if that girl didn't exist anymore? What if Sheena was a totally different from the young child with who he grew together for some part of his life? He already lost Amile one time and he didn't know if he could stand lost her again. The Children of the Light tried to point his doubts again:

"I'm not saying that I'm not happy for her to have survived, but I knew Amile. Sheena can be someone completely different from her. It would be like other people took the place of my cousin, so I don't know if I still can call her of my family and..."

"Nobody simply changes like that. I'm sure that even if she's different from the Amile you knew, she'll love you just like when you two were together. But you have to stop saying she's not from your family just because she was raised by Mizuho."

_Why is he bugging himself so much because of this?_, Lloyd thought.

"You don't understand. It's not that simple. Our family also had its black sheep, people that changed due stay away of us by much time or didn't pass in all of our trainings and rituals. I don't want to Sheena for to be known as...", again Merilius was interrupted, but this time, Lloyd's tone was of anger and calumny.

When Merilius said "you don't understand", Lloyd's blood started to boil, but he tried to maintain under control. He hated when people said that. They always said it as an excuse to justify selfish and/or terrible acts. When the light warrior talked about black sheep in his family and the possibility of Sheena turn into one just because she never made any training and ritual of Ishtar family, the boy had enough of it.

That Children of the Light didn't know Sheena right and he was already speaking about her dishonoring his family. He was thinking about honor instead of Sheena's feelings. The Eternal Swordsman couldn't believe that Merilius was putting proud at the front of family.

"Hear me you! Children of the Light or not Children of the Light she's your cousin! Did you ever stopped of think in this stupid proud of yours to think in what she felt? She never knew her parents, she never had them to console her by her failures, which were for her as bad as yours or even worse. She was lucky to have an adoptive grandfather that was so nice to her. You never saw she crying for the people that were killed because of her mistakes, so don't come speaking about dishonor like she's the kind of person that doesn't care about it!"

The anger in Lloyd's eyes was unmistakable. Why couldn't Merilius stop and put himself on Sheena's shoes? Were proud and that suppose honor he claimed to want to recover more important than someone that he claimed to love?

The Children of the Light was struck by Lloyd's outburst. The boy was accusing him of care more to his proud than to his own cousin. Did he know what he made to find any clue if Amile had survived or not? No, he didn't. He didn't have any idea of the desperation he had to think another of his family could be dead.

"Don't come talking to me like I'm selfish. You don't know half of what I passed trying to defend my family and innocents from Nebilim's tricks and schemes. You don't have to stay woke at night, just waiting for to see who will be the next close to you to betray you or die. You don't have to stay with your guard up, just looking around for any sing of something that might came to claim your life, because of a curse that killed gruesomely each one of your relatives at your front. You never had to stand taunts and provocations of a damned spirit throwing in your face all those lives that you couldn't defend!", Merilius talked back.

"Don't come talking like you're the only victim here! I know what is to have the weight of thousands of lives on your shoulders and Sheena knows it too. If to be of your family is to pass by a bunch of stupid rituals and trainings just to think you're the only one suffering, then you can shove it on your throat, cause Sheena would never want to belong to a family that prefers to abandon its relatives in the name of some idiot proud!"

That comment took Merilius aback, but surprise was soon replaced by anger. The light warrior quickly stood and drew his Runeblade, pointing it Lloyd. Nobody insulted Ishtar lineage. Nobody.

"Take. That. Back!", Merilius said between his teeth, in a low, angry tone.

Lloyd also stood, ready for the case of Merilius really attack him. He wouldn't take anything back. Not to a selfish moron that thought he was the only one to suffer. The Eternal Swordsman never got so angry at the Children of the Light like he was now.

"I won't take it back! I know Sheena, you don't. You just know how she fights, not how she is. You're more worried about your damn honor than with her!"

The magic swordsman gridded his teeth and his hand started to shake with anger, together with his sword. Lloyd drew his Material Blades, standing in a battle stance. After tense minutes, Merilius' hands stopped to shake and, quicker than the eyes could see, he sheathed his weapon.

The Children of the Light gave his back to the dual swordsman, saying:

"It seems I chose the wrong person to talk about it."

Before Lloyd could shout at the proud warrior again, or Merilius could leave the room, a strong, bright flash appeared between the two. When the light extinguished, Origin's glorious figure appeared.

"We reached a decision. Call your friends.", the great King said...


	41. The Legacy of the Past

Like you all were waiting, here we begin the next part of my fic and with right of some action.

Another OC comes people (like some of you already guessed in the previous chapters), I'm putting his data on my profile, so check out if you want. Also wait for more twists and the major mysteries of the fic will be solved in this part.

Lets put some music (starts to play "Fighting the Spirit") and get on with this play!

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Chapter 41

**The Legacy of the Past**

Rheairds flew in high speeds through the skies, passing near the area the Mana Three and entering Ymir area.

The talk with Origin about his plan still fresh in the group's mind, making even Merilius and Lloyd forget their previous talk:

_The reunion room of Flanoir Base was full by the Summon Spirits (less Verius) and the heroes of the worlds. Origin started to speak, giving a brief summary about the situation:_

"_We're restoring the mana flows and we already achieved to undo most of the damage. But if Nebilim activates his demonic portals inside the fortress, all our work will be for nothing. The energies from Niflheim can cause more damage than any change the elemental shadows could do, though the effects aren't immediate._

"_At this sense, we decided that to revert the situation we need someone that already fought against Nebilim and knows the geography of his fortress. And the most qualified one to help you in this case is the one that first defeated Nebilim, the hero of the Forgotten Ages, Lord Vallor Ilandris."_

_The entire group struck at the new, but nobody was more startled than Merilius. They would call his ancestor, the one that started Ishtar lineage and gave the great fame his family once had. The dark-blue haired half-elf didn't know with what face he would appear at the front of the most noble of his ancestors after all he had done._

_While Merilius fought an internal battle between the will of shout at Origin that he didn't want to face Vallor and his sense of duty for to his promise, Presea asked to Origin:_

"_But... isn't Vallor dead?"_

"_It was because of it that took so much time for us to decide. Vallor's time in this world indeed have gone a long time ago, but his spirit still lives in the Golden Lands.", Efreet said. _

"_Golden Lands? What's this?", Lloyd asked. Origin was the one to answer._

"_The Golden Lands are the local where all the illuminated souls of the ancient heroes, who fulfilled their duties and missions in this world, go. It's one of the worlds that are beyond this plane of existence, which cannot be reached by mortals."_

_Again the heroes stood in awe. So those Golden Lands were like some kind of paradise to where the ones that once did great things for that world went. Sheena then said for them to call Vallor. Volt answered something that sounded like a bad new. Raine translated:_

"_'We cannot call him, for we don't have authority to call back those who already left this world. It's because of this that you have to go to the Golden Lands'? But you said none mortal could reach that world."_

"_You can't reach it _alone_, but with our help you can. Origin here is the one that controls the portal to the other worlds.", Celsius said while inclined against her chair and put her feet in the table, an attitude that Yuan found much unfair with his always clean tables._

_The former hero was about to ask for Celsius to move out her feet from his table, when he received a nudge from Zelos, who gave him a look of "leave her be. More profit to us". The look, however, didn't pass unnoticed by the older women of the party. _

_Sheena was ready to slap Zelos, but Raine arrived first, making the face of the perverted Chosen to touch the table. Looking to Raine with a pained expression, he saw her so famous look of "behave yourself", a look that she often gave to Genis right before and after slap him by his bad behavior._

_Sheena, Lloyd and Colette giggled at that, while the others seemed confused, including some Summon Spirits. Origin made a sound of clear his throat to get the attention back to the subject._

"_I am the Summon Spirit of creation and I am also the responsible to guide the souls of those who don't belong to this world anymore, so I have access to the worlds of the next plane. Death is also part of the creation.", Origin explained._

"_So we're going to this other world to find Vallor, but how can a spirit help us. Did he can pass between the worlds as easily as you?", Raine asked._

"_No he can't, but it's exactly because he's a illuminated spirit that he's the best guide thee could have to Nebilim's Fortress. He cannot be destroyed by anything of this world.", Luna said._

"_On the contrary of our dark spirit pall, the o' creepiness Nebilim.", Gnome added._

_Origin, Luna and Shadow explained that illuminated spirits, such as the ones that inhabited the Golden Lands, are beings that reached a higher level of existence and so couldn't be destroyed by anything known by the mortals, but also couldn't come or interfere in the living world. There were, however, exceptions to the rule._

"_Just because he doesn't belong to this world that doesn't mean he can't appear and fight if someone with the knowledge of summoning calls for him.", Maxwell said, looking to Sheena._

"_Why did I have the impression you would say something like this?", Sheena commented. It seemed that whenever things involved spirits, it came down to her to play the major role. "Ok, I got it. I have to make a pact whit him so he can help us."_

"_Yes and, as with us, you must first show your worthy as a summoner to him.", Undine pronounced._

"_Then you can count on me!", Sheena spoke with a determinate voice._

Lloyd and his friends then were told what they should do to go to the Golden Lands. The portal was located at Origin's monolith and the great King would open it when they arrived at Ymir and go with them. The greater spirit also said in the Golden Lands they couldn't stroll around, they had to stay together with him and Maxwell.

Everybody was apprehensive to encounter the one that first defeated Nebilim. What would he say about them? And their attempt to the pact? Could Vallor be as powerful as the Summon Spirits? When the group started to discuss about those questions, Lloyd raised his voice to get their attention and said:

"Guys! We won't arrive in anywhere worrying about it now. Let's worry with this when the time comes, ok?", the party nodded at the red clad swordsman line.

"Hu. Just like you Lloyd. Likes to wait to see what will do in the last hour.", Genis commented, and Lloyd got himself imagining if that was a compliment. "You know, some day you will end up by killing us all.", the little boy commented, chuckling. Now that surely wasn't a compliment.

They landed at the entrance of the forest and proceeded to Heimdall. The travel was just stopped by some ravaging monsters that tried their luck with the group and were quickly eliminated by the heroes' sheer number.

When they finally saw the gate of the elven village, they could see Heimdall hadn't changed too much from its previous state, when it was stand before the collapse of the Tower of Salvation. Huts and houses made out of wood and straw decorated the scenery of the tropical forest. The elves were in their daily chores, some paying little attention to the visitors, others waved the hands when Lloyd and his group passed.

They soon arrived at the entrance of the Torrent Forest and the guard asked who they were and why they were going to the forest's direction. Yuan answered with a tone of an authority:

"We are the heroes of the worlds and we want passage to the forest. I'm sure you know Lloyd here and his friends.", the guard looked to the rest of the group and nodded, moving aside and letting them to pass. As they thanked the guard, they entered in the sacred forest.

Torrent Forest changed little since the group's last visit. Just some new plants and threes gave any signal that time had affected that place. Merilius whistled as he saw everything in the forest. He never had the chance to go to the legendary Torrent Forest.

Defeating some Torrents, Bell Pepper Heads, Alruines and, the most difficult, Carnivore Plants and Golden Dragons, the party finally arrived at the meadow of Origin's monolith. The King of the Summon Spirits and the Ancient Ruler of the Elements were there, waiting for them.

Maxwell asked if they were ready. Everybody, save by Merilius, said yes. Origin then turned to the stone that once was his seal and started to mumble some words, in a language unknown by the entire group. The monolith then glowed with intensity and projected a diminutive ray from its center, which produced a point of light some centimeters away of the stone monument.

The point grew until turn into a portal big enough for a mid-sized dragon to pass. Origin turned to the group and nodded. Lloyd was the first to enter, Colette the second and Genis the third, after hesitate a little. Soon everybody had passed, including the Summon Spirits. The portal closed behind them, right at the time strange clouds covered the sun...

- - - - -

Beautiful. That was the only word they could think to describe what they were seeing. Skies without a single cloud at sigh. The sun of midday bathed the land with golden rays. Tall threes with leaves that gave a perfect shelter to the solar rays and filtered it, producing a serene light. Plains and forests until the eyes could reach, with grass that shone like it had own light. Gentle breezes caressed the group, bringing to them a sensation of refresh and an unique scent to each one of them that brought to them a sensation of comfort.

_If there is really a paradise, then it must be this world._, all of the group thought.

As the group stayed gazing at the incredible, shining world, Origin and Maxwell put up an invisible barrier around the group to allow them to travel in that world. When the barrier was arose, Origin spoke to them:

"I know. This is a truly beautiful world, but it's better we hurry. Time flows in your world as we stay here.", the King of the Summon Spirits spoke in his solemn tone.

"Follow us and don't stay behind, not even to study some runes around here.", Maxwell said, looking to Raine by the corner of his eyes.

"I know when is the right time for me to study and when is not.", Raine replied, crossing her arms.

The travel around the Golden Lands was peaceful, without any delaying, save by Raine's brief stop near some monoliths and murals that they passed by in the forest. The group didn't expect to encounter any monster in that world anyway.

After what seemed some minutes of walking, they passed by a great stone bridge above a river, a section of the forest full of threes with fruits (where Maxwell had to slap Lloyd's hands whit his staff for the boy don't eat one of the tasty-looking fruits) and finally arrived at a great plain.

The wind blew with a medium strength in that plain and nothing seemed to exist there, save by grass, through kilometers. Maxwell and Origin said they had arrived, but the heroes couldn't see anything. Did they take a wrong detour in part of the way?

Then a great light shone some meters away and grew forming what seemed a ghostly building. The building was entirely made out of light, but the group couldn't say what exactly it was, due the brightness of the structure almost blinded them. From what seemed to be the gates of the structure, an humanoid form appeared, approaching to them.

When the figure exited from its bright house, the structure dissipated in the air and the group could finally see who their host was. The figure was a half-elf, dressed in white silver from top to the bottom. A long, silvery blond hair fell to his back, until half-way to this waist, with some strands hanging at the front of his eyes, but it didn't hide the emerald green orbs from the group's sigh.

Merilius gasped and immediately knelled before the half-elf spirit. There was Vallor Ilandris, the hero of the Forgotten Ages, smiling to the group as he approached. His way of walk and posture indicated he wasn't a noble or anything near it. Though he beard a title of weight, he seemed more like any common half-elf, but the group could feel power emanating from him.

"So you are the heroes. It's a pleasure finally meet you.", Vallor said, in a calm, friendly tone, bowing to them. "Like Origin and Maxwell must already have filled you, I'm Vallor Ilandris. The first half-elf to born in the mortal world, hero of the Forgotten Ages and Guardian of Life and Equilibrium, a title gave to me by Origin himself."

"It's an honor to meet you. I'm Lloyd and these are my friends...", the Eternal Swordsman then introduced each one of his companions, who gave to the ancient hero a greet as their names were called. "We came here to ask you to help us. Nebilim is back."

"I already know of it. Luna and Origin told to me about the situation in your world. I'm sorry for the things had gotten to this point."

Merilius, finally taking courage to stand, looked to Vallor in confusion. His ancestor was apologizing by the mistake he committed in the past by letting Nebilim live. The descendant of the hero never thought the first thing Vallor would do was to apologize by letting a great evil live.

"You don't need to apologize. We commit mistakes all the time, no matter who we are. ", Yuan said, attracting the group's attention. It was really rare to see Yuan trying to console someone, but the Seraphim should know how Vallor felt, due he already did something similar in the past.

"This is true. I'll save the excuses for another time, due our time is certainly thin.", Vallor looked to Origin, who nodded. "I have the knowledge you need about Nebilim's Fortress and its defenses, so the best way to help you is for me to go with you, but by the rules, I cannot do so. However, if I have a pact with a summoner of your world I can leave this plane to help you whenever you need or I see necessary. To help you in battle, it's necessary performs the formal summoning enchantment like you do with the Summon Spirits.

"And as the Summon Spirits, I must test your worthy as a pact-maker. Choose the four of you that best represents your ideals and will. To battle with me I want you to choose your companions by their heart, not by strategy.", Vallor said.

The group of heroes discussed who they would send. Lloyd was the first to be chose. If there was someone that best represented the ideals they believed in, it was the red clad boy. Sheena said she would go, since she was the summoner. Lloyd suggested Colette came also.

"But Vallor is certainly immune against light magic.", Presea said.

"Yeah we know it. But he said it was for us to choose by our hearts and Colette is one of the strongest of us on this matter.", Sheena said.

Yuan, Genis and Regal nodded with the female ninja. Colette clapped her hands in joy, thanking Sheena for consider her that strong. The grand summoner answered with a smile, saying it was nothing. Then came the question of who their fourth fighter would be. Some volunteered to go, but the group discarded the hypothesis.

Then the heroes looked to Merilius, who hadn't utter a single word since they arrived in that plain. The dark-blue haired half-elf looked to them, confused, until he realized what they were thinking.

"No way! You must be kidding!", the Children of the Light said.

"C'mon. Weren't you the one that said wanted to live again? So you're the right guy to fight here.", Zelos said.

"But... why not you, or Yuan, or Regal, or...", Merilius protested, but it was in vain.

"No. Zelos is right. You have a strong heart. You passed by terrible things through your life, but you never ceased to fight. Even when you discovered what you made of your life you didn't cease to fight. You stood and continued.", Regal said.

Though Merilius was some of flattered by the complement, the best part of his being was begging for them to abandon that idea. He wasn't so strong like they thought. If it wasn't by Luna and Martel, he would simply let himself die after he escaped from Nebilim's Fortress. The descendant of Vallor said that to them, but again the group said:

"But you decided to hear them. You decided to continue. It was your decision and from nobody more.", Colette said. "You can think you're not strong, but you are, Merilius."

The adult half-elf sighed. They wouldn't give up of him so easily, so he agreed to fight that battle. The group cheered for him, as the Children of the Light tried to prepare himself for what could come in that fight.

The other heroes that wouldn't fight moved aside, joining to Origin and Maxwell, who just observed all the talk and the preparatives. Lloyd, Sheena, Colette and Merilius turned to Vallor, who smiled at seeing the selection.

"You did well in choose my child to fight.", the spirit hero said, startling Merilius. Vallor looked to his descendant with a warm smile. "It's like they said, you have a strong will here to live, even if you deny it."

Merilius looked to the side, embarrassed by being complimented by the most noble of his ancestors. Vallor shook his head, chuckling, and then made a long sword of light appear in his hand. The group drew their weapons.

"Now, let's commence the party!", Vallor proclaimed. A flash appeared and two feathered, arm length, white wings sprouted from Vallor's back.

The four fighters got so surprised at that that they almost didn't see Vallor flying to them. The ancient half-elf started the fight by attacking Sheena and Lloyd with speed superior even to Merilius, making sparks fly from the colliding weapons. Colette took the chance to throw a chackran at Vallor's back with great strength, however, the hero of the Forgotten Ages avoided it, by disappearing in a flap of his wings, leaving Sheena and Lloyd to defend from the attack of their own companion.

Colette apologized to them at the time she felt Vallor appearing at her back. The blond angel turned at time to take a strong blow from the silvery blond angel, which pushed her back. Colette looked to the wound she received, it was just a scratch, but she could felt a strange magic that was seeping her strengths by the wound.

"Is this what you have? Fight with me like you were fighting against Nebilim and his puppet.", Vallor said, opening his arms, like inviting them to try again.

Colette called for her light manipulation technique. The familiar glow enveloped her hands and feet and the girl flew to Vallor, attacking him with her chackrans. Meanwhile, Sheena enchanted her and Lloyd's weapon with darkness mana, after had used a Magic Lens to analyze Vallor's weakness. Presea was right, he was immune to light.

Merilius took the moment to run to Vallor and try to use Earth Rage on him. The ancient angel, however, disappeared again, at the moment his descendant attacked and appeared at Merilius' front when he finished his technique.

"Sorry by this.", Vallor said before punch Merilius with great strength, sending the dark-blue haired half-elf some meters away.

Sheena and Lloyd came in to attack, putting Vallor on the defensive. The two attacked with quick strikes, intending on not let the spirit hero counter-attack, and with incredible synchrony. The ancient hero just smiled as the duo forced him back.

The Eternal Swordsman used Fierce Demon Fang, making Vallor to assume a defensive stance against low attacks, while Sheena jumped above the silvery blond angel, putting a seal on his head and pronouncing:

"Power Seal Absolute!", Vallor felt the defenses around him weakening. Now they got him.

Sheena attacked Vallor from back at the same time Lloyd attacked at the front, rendering the spirit's defenses useless. The two attack with sequences of strong blows and techniques, hitting the ancient hero dead on. The duo of lovers ended with Pyre Seal and Hunting Beast, launching Vallor to above. The spirit hero stopped in midair, staying in air as his wings flapped behind him.

The hero of the Forgotten Ages smiled to the duo beneath him. He could feel the bounds between Lloyd's and Sheena's heart. They were strong, as were the ones in their other companions. They were using those bounds as a weapon against him, by attacking at the same time with such synchrony and coordination that his defenses were almost useless.

_It makes them powerful indeed, but it also can be a two edged sword, if one of them is under death menace in a battle. They need to work to don't let it turn into their weakness._, Vallor thought.

Lloyd then showed his wings and flew to Vallor, at the same time that Colette, while Merilius reunited with Sheena at the ground. The two angels attacked the spirit hero, but their attacks were easily avoided and defended. Vallor soon counter attacked with a strong, wide blow, which make his two adversaries got in the defensive. Quickly, the spirit pointed his palm at the two and shoot at each one balls of light, which exploded on them, making the two to fall.

Merilius charged and released a Thunder Arrow spell, right after his companions being attacked. The magic hit, but seemed to do little damage, due Vallor disappeared again and reappeared behind the magic swordsman. However, before the ancient hero could attack, Sheena, already prepared for that, put a seal on the spirit's face and pronounced and enchantment that made it ignite.

The Children of the Light jumped away while his ancestor tried to remove the burning seal. Colette flew to Vallor and attacked him several slashes of her chackrans and throwing projectiles at the spirit hero. Lloyd came again and attacked the ancient hero with several quick slashes and thrusts. Colette attacked right after the red clad swordsman, now using chackrans enchanted with the mana of light on her.

Lloyd didn't understand why Colette was using light on Vallor when he was immune to it, but after the spirit took away the seal, with all his body was sparkling with light magic, and Colette put a hand on Vallor's chest, he understood.

"Light Inversion!", the blond angel spoke.

Vallor widened his eyes when he saw all the sparks entering on him and felt mana pushing all his body, launching him several feet away and making him to slide in the ground. The watchers of the fight cheered Colette, as the gentle girl waved to them and her other three friends approached the fallen silvery blond angel.

The illuminated spirit stood and looked to Colette with a great smile. He turned his look to Merilius and said:

"So you taught to her the Light Inversion.", Colette went to her battle companions' side, smiling at Vallor as he looked to her again. "You are strong. You achieved to make some good damage on him. It seems if I want to win this fight, I have to stop of go easy on you.", Yuan and the others watching looked with worry to one another. If Vallor was going easy on Lloyd and the others until now, they couldn't imagine what the spirit considered "fight serious".

Vallor asked again if they were ready. When the four warriors nodded, the ancient hero flew to them like an arrow and attacked with another wide and very strong blow. When the group defended, the force of the blow almost threw them out of balance, producing more sparks and shock waves in the air.

The hero of the Forgotten Ages attacked now the four at the same time. Lloyd and Sheena tried to counter attack, but Vallor slipped to the side and hit the two with light beams, making them flew backwards. Merilius defended the silvery blond angel's next attack while Colette looked to her friends. Vallor avoided a counter attack of Merilius and proceed to slash at the girl again.

Colette noticed the attack of the spirit warrior and defended the initial blows, but they were so strong that she lost a chackran and Vallor hit her with a strike charged with light energy. The blow didn't do much damage, but the strength was sufficient to push the girl away.

Merilius, in an attempt of gain time to the others to recover, started to attack his ancestor with all his speed, but Vallor answered with equal speed and accuracy. The weapons of the two warriors seemed blurs at the middle of the rain of blows and sparks.

When the Eternal Swordsman recovered, he flew to the ancient hero again, but when he tried to attack, Vallor disappeared, appearing some meters away of the two, charging a spell. Lloyd and Merilius used their defensive techniques to defend from the Holy Lance spell that came, but soon discovered it was just a distraction, when the spirit hero teleported to their back and slashed at them.

With a strong kick, the silvery blond angel sent Merilius some meters away and used Light Thrust on Lloyd. Vallor flew above Lloyd and pointed his palm to the boy. A magic circle of Vallor's size appeared on his palm and shot several light arrows on the red clad boy, who knelled at feeling his energy seeping with the blows. He didn't feel any pain from Vallor's attacks, but the tiredness was doing a good work on this fight.

Sheena tried to run to help Lloyd, but failed to notice in time when Vallor teleported from Lloyd and appeared near her. The hero of the past grab her wrist and threw her above him and to the ground, like she was a rag doll. Sheena tried to stand while her adversary prepared to deliver a final blow.

"Spread!", Merilius' voice came, followed by a spring of water that launched Vallor to the skies.

The Guardian of the Equilibrium tried to fly, but he discovered he couldn't, due his wet wings. Before he touched the ground, the spirit hero heard Sheena saying "Cyclone Seal". Vallor again flew to the air, enveloped by a turmoil of seal cards. From his position he saw Lloyd flying to him at great speed with his Vorpal Blade stretched, creating a cyclone of pressure in the air.

After Lloyd hit Vallor with Rising Falcon and Sheena's Cyclone Seal explode on the hero, the Eternal Swordsman and the grand summoner looked to each other and nodded. Sheena threw her cards to Lloyd and made them to circulate the red clad boy's sword while he shot to the silvery blond warrior again.

"Falcon Seal!"

The strong blow and the exploding seals hit Vallor dead on. The ancient hero fell to the ground with a thud, but soon stood. Sheena and Merilius could feel Vallor's energy was starting to get low. This gave to them some hope to win him. However, they soon discovered Vallor's energy was stronger than they thought when the hero casted:

"Shining Seal!"

All the party was shackled by light seals. Vallor held his sword horizontally at the front of his face, eying Lloyd with a concentrated expression. The spirit hero then brought the sword to his back and attacked:

"Blink Thrust!", Vallor flew, thrusting against Lloyd, slashing at the boy's side and disappearing in flap of wings and feathers. The Guardian of Life reappeared near Lloyd, still flying, and hit the Eternal Swordsman again. After hit Lloyd six times, Vallor reappeared at the red clad warrior's front, stand and again thrust at the helpless swordsman with Light Thrust.

The seal dissipated when the swordsman went to the ground. The wounds left for the attacks were just scratches, but for Lloyd they were as serious as deep gashes.

Raine gasped when she saw the boy being attacked and struggling to stand, all his body trembling, due the lost of so much energy. The older woman tried to get to the red clad swordsman, but was stopped by Maxwell's staff lowering in her front.

"You can't interfere.", the age-looking spirit said.

"But...", Raine tried to argue, but a look from Origin was sufficient for her to silence. It was a test, they should pass for themselves.

Vallor charged another spell when the seal on Sheena and the others worn off. The female ninja and the Children of the Light went to Lloyd, Colette also tried to fly to them when she heard the incantation that the ancient hero was pronouncing:

"Ancient powers of the light, I call for thy aid in this moment of need. Show to my opponents thy might and burn away the evil around me! Judgment!", the blond angel's eyes widened when she heard the name of the name of the spell.

In an immediate impulse, Colette flew to above her three battle companions and saw stars starting to fall around. She then breathed deeply and started to concentrate. When the beams of light fell upon her, the girl used Damage Guard, but instead of block the magical attack she started to absorb the energy of the attack.

Again the Chosen of Sylvarant felt the magical energies running through all her body, trying to overcome her, but she didn't stop. All the beams that threatened to fall on her friends she absorbed through the shield of her Damage Guard. Lloyd, who stood with the help of Sheena, saw his friend glowing with a yellow light and sparks crackling around her.

"Colette, stop!!!", Lloyd shout to her, but the girl didn't stop and the glow intensified.

From his position, the hero of the past got curious at what Colette was doing. If she insisted in absorb such a powerful attack as his, her very essence could get twisted by the strong magic. When the stars stopped to fall, Colette was shining like a tiny sun and seemed to be struggling to maintain control.

The blond angel then transferred the energy to her hands, which started to glow even brighter than before. Before Vallor could realize what she was doing, Colette pointed her hands to him and a giant beam shot from them with the speed of a bullet. The spirit hero's eyes widened when he saw the ray of his size coming and hitting him.

The beam exploded with such might that the lands around it shook. Colette let her hands fell around her body and her wings disappeared, making the girl to fall. Presea covered her mouth with her hands when she saw her blond friend closing her eyes with a tired expression and fell from the skies. Yuan seemed ready to jump in and catch Colette, what he would have done if it wasn't for Origin gave to him another serious look.

When Colette was near the ground, Sheena got over her socked state and ran to the girl, jumping and catching her friend before she fell. While Sheena laid Colette on the ground to apply a Miracle Gel, the others came, always paying attention to the smoke curtain that formed from the girl's attack.

When Sheena finished applying the gel on the girl, who slowly opened her eyes, the smoke dispersed and Vallor wasn't at sight. A familiar voice then came from behind them:

"That was an impressive maneuver. Impressive, but not effective.", Vallor said, from behind them. When the group turned, the ancient hero was already attacking. "Outburst!"

An explosion of light hit all the members of the party, launching them away. Vallor quickly advanced to them and when was at hitting range the spirit hero attacked them with a spin of his sword in clockwise and another in anticlockwise, sending the group more meters away, in an attack he called Dual Spin. Weakened and beaten, the heroes looked to their adversary, who was panting, but seemed ready to attack again.

Vallor was an incredible adversary, they had to admit it. They didn't have a fight like that by sometime and not even Origin or Maxwell seemed that difficult. The fighters and the watchers could now see why Vallor was the one that back could match powers with Nebilim.

"You all carry yourselves very well in a fight, but if you cannot defeat me you can't hope to defeat Nebilim. Of course, there's attacks that will work on him and that don't work on me, but Nebilim has his strategies and schemes. The lesson I'm trying to teach you is that you need to fight as one.

"Use your bounds of friendship and love to fight as a team, it's in them you'll encounter the power that Nebilim cannot comprehend. A power that he ignores and thinks like being inferior to his. It was like this I and my companions defeated him the first time and it is the only way to beat his darkness and demonic powers."

At the end of Vallor's lecture, the battle partners looked to each other. If it was uniting what that ancient hero wanted, then they would give that to him. As Lloyd and the other swallowed some gels to recover their energies, the red clad warrior brought his swords up and stood in a battle stance again, with a determinate look on his eyes.

"Ok. If you want to see us fighting like a team, so prepare yourself.", the Eternal Swordsman said with a confident tone. He then whispered to his battle companions. "Merilius, you go and battle with him in the front, your speed is the only thing that can match with Vallor's. Sheena and I will sneak in the sides. Colette you stay ready to use that inversion spell.", all the group nodded and stood ready to attack. "Alright guys, let's go!"

As instructed, Merilius was the first to catch up to Vallor. Runeblade and light blade clashed again at blinking speeds. Sheena and Lloyd stayed at Vallor's sides and went in. The first half-elf, however, back flipped, staying out of their reach.

"Did you think I didn't hear you? My, you young of these days think you're so smart...", the hero of the Forgotten Ages said with a cocky smile.

"To speak the truth, we are.", Merilius said, smirking.

Before Vallor could understand what his descendant just meant with that he felt someone touch him from behind. Before he could turn he heard Colette's voice calling for the Light Inversion. Again the spirit hero was repelled with great strength to the front. He had committed the mistake of forget Colette when he thought there wasn't any strategy the group could use to win him at that course.

Sheena, Lloyd and Merilius ran to Vallor and started to beat him with their best sequences and combos. As Lloyd and Sheena used Power Thrust on the ancient hero, Merilius used Earth Rage again and called Lloyd for them to combine his technique with Lloyd's Hunting Beast. The red clad boy nodded and the two unleashed the two powerful attacks at the same time.

"Earth Beast!", Lloyd and Merilius shouted while a really strong shock wave hit Merilius' ancestor, sending him to the air and hitting him with rocks twice the size of the ones Earth Rage normally launched and twice the weight.

Colette came in and used Ring Cyclone on the spirit hero, together with Sheena's Cyclone Seal. The two combined the techniques in another unison attack. Colette span around Vallor, using her Ring Cyclone again while was surrounded by a twister of Sheena's seal cards. Like in Falcon Seal, the cards that stuck in the ancient hero exploded, reducing his defenses.

"Ring Seal!", the two girls pronounced.

At the end of the attacks, Vallor was on his knees, panting deeply while the group reunited again, ready to attack. They were also getting tired. Even with the gels, they couldn't stay fighting like that. They had to end that match before either their gels and healing items ran out or Vallor attacked them in a way they couldn't even move to reach the items.

From their position, the rest of the party looked to the battle with a tense expression. Vallor was an adversary like they never saw before. The first half-elf could use the attacks Mithos used when they battled against him (that probably were taught to the fallen hero by Thorin, one of Vallor's descendants) and some others they never saw before. Their friends had to end that fight quickly.

The fighters swallowed another load gels and some Spirit Bottles. Vallor looked up to them with a smile on his face, saying:

"I see. Your ideals are strong and so are your will. Now it's time for me to test your determination and your hearts.", after said that Vallor stood and spread his arms to the sides. His body started to glow with silver light and he floated some feet above the ground.

The hero of the Forgotten Ages' body glowed with more intensity, until it couldn't be seen anymore. As the lines of Vallor's body seemed to change into something, he released a bright flash. Lloyd and his friends knew what was about to come.

_Great. Just what we needed. A guy with two forms._, the Eternal Swordsman thought, shielding his eyes from the flash...


	42. Show me Your Light

Yo! Back with another chapter. 8)

Here we have the final part of Vallor's test and the definitely inclusion of him in the fic, so wait for many appearances of my OC hero. So let's now see how this goes, shall we?!

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**Chapter 42**

**Show me Your Light**

As the light subsided, the group of fighters could see Vallor's new form. He was now some kind of dragon, but with fur instead of scales and feline-like appearance. Yellow golden eyes with vertical pupils decorated a long face with some strands of fur on the cheeks, pointing to the sides. Slender, light-gray body and a long tail, circulating his body. The beast was twice the size of an adult man.

Vallor looked like a legendary beast and that made the group uneasy about how will be the fight against the ancient hero now.

"I'm the Silver Dragon. The Soul Beast of the ancient hero Vallor Ilandris. You will show to me the light of your hearts.", the dragon "spoke" to them, although he didn't move his mouth. He was speaking to their minds.

"Soul Beast?", Genis asked from his place, with the other members of the group and the Summon Spirits.

"The most powerful elves of the ancient times could draw power from their own souls, by entering in contact with their very essence and transforming into a beast that better symbolized the warrior part of their soul.", Maxwell explained to the group, loud enough for Lloyd and the others hear. "It's a technique that required much training and that you enter in contact with the light of your soul. You also can't let yourself be deluded by the superficial or material valuables of your world, meaning you had to have a noble soul to do so."

Maxwell also explained to them the technique could be performed even by humans, but due the elves had one of the greatest sensibilities between the humanoid beings they were the only ones that achieved to reach that level of contact with their essence. Even so, there were few elves in the story that could use that technique and they rarely transformed, meaning the knowledge of the art was lost even before the Forgotten Ages.

The age-looking spirit said that Vallor even needed the help of Luna to transform into that beast when he fought with Nebilim. In the actual world, there were so many worries, false valuables and grudges that even if the knowledge still be remembered by people, none of them could reach the necessary self-control and comprehension to touch the essence of their soul. Some of the group sighed at the new. If they could perform that technique they were certain it would help a lot.

Lloyd and his battle companions turned their attention back to Silver Dragon, who started to charge a new magic attack. When he ended, a great magic circle appeared under the four fighters.

"Dual Rays!", the beast shouted mentally. Two light beams appeared at the border of the circle and started to run in its limits. The rays then started to circulate closer to the center and more quickly.

When the two pillars of light were almost touching them, the heroes raised their magical defenses. The beams merged at the center and launched a more powerful charge that created a light explosion, which covered all the magic circle and launched the group out of it, even considering they hadn't suffer any damage.

The Soul Beast then advanced to attack them at incredible speed, his light-gray body seemed a blur when he moved and attacked Merilius with one of his claws. Lloyd tried to call the others back, but the dragon let out a roar that paralyzed them in their tracks, it was like some strange force was holding them in the place. When Lloyd recovered, the dragon was already at him.

Silver Dragon hit the Eternal Swordsman with its long tail, launching the swordsman away, who recovered midair and landed with a soft thud. The dragon then looked Lloyd deeply in his eyes and the boy felt like something was being moved from him. A voice then sounded inside Lloyd's head:

_Why are you fighting, Lloyd Irving? Why do you still fighting against him?_, the voice seemed a lot with his own voice, but slightly different. It sounded some more piercing. Some more... cruel. _Defeat him or defeat Nebilim won't change anything. Nothing that you can do will change the world the way you want to._

If it wasn't for Lloyd to be in the Golden Lands, he could swear this was another of Nebilim's tricks. He never before felt Nebilim trying to possess him, so he didn't know if it was that kind of situation. Another voice then sounded. It was Sheena calling his name. When Lloyd recovered his sense, he saw his girlfriend fighting to maintain the dragon away of him.

Merilius tried to use Eruption on the Silver Dragon, but the attack didn't make any effect on the beast. It seemed now Vallor turned immune to magic attacks. He ran to help Sheena, but ended by being hit together with her by the dragon's tail.

When the female ninja recovered, Lloyd was already instructing her to enchant their weapons with darkness again and prepare to attack together with him. Sheena nodded, but before she could enchant the group's weapons, she saw the dragon looking into her eyes with the same intensity he looked to Lloyd. The sensation of something moving away came to Sheena, together with a voice:

_Just look to you, need help even to think in a strategy to defeat your opponents. You're_ _really pathetic. A shame. A failure._

Sheena widened her eyes as she heard the voice. Feelings came back to her, feelings that she decided to abandon much time ago, renewed also by images of her most recent failures. Failure in protect Colette from Nebilim and let her being possessed by the Dark Lord. Failure by let the crystals to be destroyed, when the Summon Spirits asked for her help.

_NO!!! I don't need these thoughts anymore! I learn I don't need to run away. Go away! Leave me alone!_, Sheena thought with all her strengths, trying to make the memories and the feeling to go away.

The grand summoner grab her head while knelled and shook it. Colette and Lloyd, who were fighting against the claws of the Silver Dragon, looked to their friend. The red clad warrior immediately left the fight and went to the side of his lover. Merilius took his place and attacked with Earth Rage and Victory Light Spear, making the silver Dragon to back.

"Sheena! What's happening?!", the dual swordsman asked, knelling at the side of his girlfriend. She seemed to have recovered when heard his voice and stopped to shake her head.

"I... I don't know... I felt that again... I felt the weight of my failures again.", the ninja said with a fearful voice.

"What? Didn't you get over that?", Lloyd asked, surprised she still maintaining those feelings from the Regeneration Journey until now.

Sheena didn't know how to explain, but that wasn't the time to think on that. Standing, she enchanted hers and Lloyd's weapons with darkness and parted to the battle without say anything more.

The watchers of the fight got surprised by seeing Lloyd and Sheena in that way. What just happened with their friends? Curious, Presea asked to Origin what Silver Dragon just did with that look to make them to feel like that. The King of the Summon Spirits said:

"He said he would test their hearts. This is the test. He removed part of the light from their beings at a point their darkness was able to speak and try to take control. They'll now fight against their own doubts and fears as well as Vallor's Soul Beast."

"He did that with just a look?!", Zelos spoke, surprised Vallor could have that type of power.

"It seems much like the effect that Linch, Khan'Tharu, produced when he tried to look into our souls.", Regal commented.

"You could say the two techniques are similar, thought different in their essence. As a illuminated spirit, Vallor has much influence in people's thoughts. When he concentrates, he can even move away some thoughts and feelings from them. In this case he removed the feelings and thoughts that served as a barrier to contain Lloyd's and Sheena's darkness.", Origin explained.

If that Soul Beast really could do that, then that fight could be even more difficult than the fight against Vallor's first form. Turning to watch, they saw again Lloyd and Sheena stopping without an apparent reason. Their look seemed away of that fight, as they were in another place, what left an open spot to Silver Dragon attack them with his claws, sending the two to the ground and making them to come back to their senses.

"But how can they fight with their darkness and fight with this Silver Dragon at the same time? I don't know much about it, but to defeat your darkness, you must need some time to organize your thoughts and emotions.", Raine asked with a deeply worried tone.

"Oh, that's the question here. Vallor is doing the exact thing Nebilim can make against you. You'll have to discover how you can silence your darkness in a way it won't try and interfere in your fighting.", Maxwell stated in his lively, raspy voice. That only made the rest of the group got more worried about their friend's situation.

Lloyd and Sheena were trying to land a blow on Silver Dragon, but every time they reached the beast, the insistent voices sounded in their heads, remembering them about moments of failure in their life, plans that went wrong almost resulting in catastrophes and other doubts that they never stopped to think before.

_Do you really think there can be peace between different people? What an idiot. I thought you couldn't be dumber than that, but it seems I was wrong._, the voice in Lloyd's head said in a mocking tone.

_Didn't you learn anything from your past mistakes? Why keep fighting just to commit more mistakes and make people around you suffer again?_, the voice in Sheena's head, which sounded strangely feminine and at the same time venous, asked.

_You fought to bring peace once and just look to you now, you're fighting again! What other evil will come after this one? Do you think you can keep fighting like this forever just to reach a peace that never will come?_, Lloyd's evil voice said.

The voices were annoying, to not say worse. They were trying to drown the two with those feelings they felt in all the moments they committed mistakes that cost people's life and when they almost failed with their friends and in their objectives.

Lloyd and Sheena wanted to get rid of those feelings. They promised they would never let those feelings took over them again, but it didn't matter how much they shouted and tried to make it go away, it just came back, together with the voices sounding in their heads.

Then another question came from the voices. This one they never once stopped to think in and never linked to their life or the decisions they could make:

_What will you do when your lover left you or he dies? Love is a fragile thing and you know that. People broke for the most idiot things. And what if he dies? Will you just stand live without him? Do you think an entire life alone and without anybody like the one you once loved will be nice to you?_, the voices said at the same time.

That question struck Lloyd and Sheena, making them to even don't react when Silver Dragon attacked them with another Judgment spell. Colette tried to do the same thing she made when Vallor first casted that spell, but when she was absorbing the Soul Beast appeared in her side and breathed a lightning blast on her. Merilius achieved to use Divine Shield to defend his two companions from the remaining falling stars.

"C'mon you two! What's the problem with you?! Get over this!", the Children of the Light said, but without any effect. Lloyd's and Sheena's eyes were expressionless and void, like their spirits had left their bodies, leaving behind empty shells.

_Damn! We can't stand this fight without them. What can I do?_, the dark-blue haired half-elf thought, trying to think in something as Silver Dragon landed near him.

Raine and the others tried to shout to Merilius to don't look at the dragon's eyes, but it was too late. When Merilius looked into the golden orbs of Silver Dragon, he felt the light slipping away of his heart and a strong voice came to him:

_Do you have the guts to call yourself Children of the Light?! You made things that even Vallor would disgust and you know that._

Different from the others, Merilius couldn't find strengths or even determination to deny what the voice was saying, so he fell limp to the ground, eyes like Lloyd and Sheena. The voice continued to accuse the light warrior as he tried to find something that could say it was lying. Lloyd and Sheena could half see what was happening to their companion, but they couldn't move, it was like the voices had paralyzed all their body, as they tried to fight back.

The voices inside the two lovers' heads still questioning them about what they would do when one of them die. In a normal situation the answer would be obvious: they would continue to live. Again the darkness questioned if they really could do that after had proved of one another's love, if they could live without feel that sensation of love someone and be loved back.

That question started to make their hearts ache as images of death and sorrow appeared in Lloyd's and Sheena's minds. It was like they were being transported to another reality, a reality were one of them died on the other. Could they really live with that weight on their backs?

The Silver Dragon looked to his hapless preys. They seemed to be losing their internal fight against their darkness. As the Soul Beast approached to deliver a decisive blow, a golden and white blur punched him in the face. The dragon looked it was Colette.

He again applied that same look on the girl, but something different occurred. As he could feel the girl's light moving away and her darkness arising, he saw Colette close her eyes and mumble something. The light then returned to the girl. Vallor's second form knew there was just one explanation for that to happen.

"So, you already faced your darkness before and won it.", the dragon "said". It sounded like a question, but it was a statement.

"Yes. I let my bad side took control and I watched it do horrible things to my friends. I promised I would never hear it again to the same thing don't happen. I don't want to Lloyd, Sheena or anybody more pass by the same thing I passed.", Colette said, her voice in her usual gentle tone, but Silver Dragon could caught a glimpse of regret.

"Well, you may have won your internal conflict, but your friends not. Do you think you can defeat me alone?", the dragon's voice boomed in Colette's mind. By the tone, the Soul Beast should be smirking.

"I'm never alone. My friends are always with me."

The tone of the blond angel made Vallor's second form thought for a second that Lloyd, Sheena and Merilius had recovered, but he knew that hadn't happened. He knew what Colette had meant with that saying, but he had to ask to see if the others would also learn that lesson.

"What do you mean? Your friends are behind you, struggling against their own fears and doubts."

"They are with me in my heart. Even if they can't fight, I can feel them in my heart. It doesn't matter if they are far away or even if they aren't alive anymore, they will always live in me. I learn that with them and I'll remember this for the rest of my days.", Colette gave an warm smile as she said the last line. Colette's words reached Sheena and Lloyd.

Their hearts... they would continue to live in one another's heart... that was the answer. They didn't need to mourn over one another's death or anybody more, because these people would always be with them, in their hearts.

_Are you crazy?! Nobody can live in the other's heart!_, the darkness of the two lovers tried to protest, but they weren't hearing them anymore. That side of them would probably never understand this.

The darkness' protests sounded lower and lower, until it disappeared and they could feel what they lost returning. They found themselves renewed, like they were feeling the life inside them for the first time. Lloyd and Sheena stood at time to hear Silver Dragon saying:

"A noble thought... but thoughts won't win this battle.", the dragon prepared to breath lightning on Colette again, but when he was about to attack, somebody came in and shouted "Pyre Seal".

Energies of darkness attacked the Soul Beast and blew him away. When he stood again, he could hear Sheena saying:

"Really Colette, you know your joy and way of thinking is contagious, don't you?", the female ninja said with a smile to her blond friend.

Before Silver Dragon could say or do anything, another blur flew to him, this one red, and unleashed a quick sequence of thrusts on him, shouting "Sonic Sword Rain". The furred dragon was pushed away as the two female fighters came to the side of the grinning Eternal Swordsman.

"And people say I'm the idealist here, when Colette is who sometimes taught me lessons that are under my nose.", Lloyd gave a cocky smile to Colette as she smiled back to her friend. He turned to the Soul Beast at his front. "Sorry, but our trick didn't count with Colette's smartness."

"Hu. Maybe it hasn't. But it seems a friend of yours didn't heard her... smartness.", the dragon said, meaning Merilius with his head.

The three turned to see the still falling Children of the Light. Silver Dragon tried to take this opportunity to attack the group, but was surprised by Sheena and Lloyd's blockage. The Eternal Swordsman talked to his angel friend while held the Soul Beast's claws back:

"Colette, go and do something to wake Merilius! We'll hold this guy off."

The Chosen nodded as Sheena enchanted again hers and Lloyd's weapon and the two started to attack together the slender dragon, who avoided some of their wresting with the grace of a cat. Colette saw Merilius was mumbling something in such low voice she couldn't hear what it was. She tried to call his name, but without avail.

The Children of the Light still being haunted by the voice of his darkness, making him remember all his failures and mistakes of the past. Then he heard Colette's voice calling him, the voice of the one that was teaching him to live again. It was like a bright light was trying to reach his soul.

_What does this girl understand about your life? About your failures? She knows nothing of it._, the voice said.

Again Merilius heard Colette calling for him. No. That voice was wrong. Colette knew what was to have the weight of the world over her shoulders. She knew what was to feel like a failure and a shame to her title. But after all, she still fighting and living. She got over all of that and honored her title and position.

The voice now sounded like a whisper and the sight of the battle was getting clearer to Merilius, he could now see Colette knelled over him. Sitting, the light warrior passed the hand over his forehead, like he just had passed over a very harsh headache.

"Are you alright?", Colette asked with a concerned tone.

"Let's just say it wasn't one of my best experiences, but I'll survive.", Merilius said.

The two then stood, Colette helping Merilius, and turned to see Lloyd and Sheena trying to land a blow on Silver Dragon, who jumped away to avoid the duo's attack and casted Dual Rays again.

"Can you try to absorb it?", the Children of the Light asked to the blond angel, who nodded. "I'll help you then, so don't worry."

The two went to the circulating pillars of light, Colette called for her technique of control of light again and stood right where the pillars where passing, together with Merilius, and started to absorb the energy of the attack. The two beams started to get thinner as they were being absorbed by the two light bearers, until they disappeared. The two warriors were glowing with energy of light that was running in their bodies.

Silver Dragon opened his mouth and started to charge another blast of lightning. When the Soul Beast unleashed the attack, Colette and Merilius also unleashed the energies they absorbed in two yellow beams, which combined and formed a bigger one. The two attacks encountered each other and one beam tried to push another at the direction of its caster. Colette and Merilius tried to use more energy and achieved to make their combined attacks got closer to the dragon, but their opponent also increased the power of his attack.

"Even if you stop my attack it won't harm me. I'm immune to any attack of light.", Silver Dragon's voice sounded in their minds.

"Yeah, you may be...", Lloyd said, appearing behind his two companion and putting a hand on each one's shoulder. The blond angel and the light warrior could feel the Eternal Swordsman transferring some of his mana to them and, consequently, to their attack, which got closer to Silver Dragon.

"But are you immune to darkness?", Sheena asked, smirking as she also put each of her hand in her friends' shoulder just above Lloyd's hands. When the female ninja touched them, she started to concentrate on transfer mana of darkness to them.

The two beams instantly changed their color, from a bright yellow tone to a black night one. The group could feel the attack getting stronger than before as the beam got thigh. The black beam then pushed the white one until it reached Silver Dragon, who got surprised at that turn of the battle. The attack hit the Soul Beast, making even the energies of his own attack turn against him and a great explosion came, involving the beast.

Colette and Merilius stopped once they saw the explosion. They were panting due the high amount of mana they had used to maintain the attack against the powerful beast. When the smoke dispersed, the four fighters saw Vallor, now in his half-elven form, smiling at them.

"Well done.", the spirit hero said. The group then sheathed their weapons. "You proved to me that both your will and hearts are strong and you learn that the true strength that resides inside you comes from your soul and the bounds you have between the ones you held dear."

Origin and Maxwell let the rest of the group to join with their friends and congratulate them for the good work. A strong wind started to blew around the fighters and they felt like their forces were being recovered with the breeze. The scratches of the fight also disappeared.

"As per the terms and the rules that are applied to the spirits, I am now allowed to make a pact with you and help in the fight against Nebilim. Just state a vow.", Merilius said approaching them.

"At this moment, the world is suffering because of a great evil that covet to control all. I vow to defeat this evil and to restore the equilibrium.", Sheena said, taking a step to the front of the ancient hero.

Vallor smiled warmly as he stretched his hand, palm up, and made a jewel appear on it. It was a silver necklace with a circular figure hanging on it, marked with runes and a golden stone at the center, which looked a lot with the Topaz of Luna. The necklace floated to Sheena, who grabbed the proof of the pact and looked to it.

"I know it's kinda different, but I'm not a Summon Spirit. So my jewel had to be different, don't you agree?", the hero said.

"Yeah. Thanks.", Sheena said, putting the necklace. The grand summoner felt the familiar sensation of the spirit's mana entering in her.

Vallor could now feel Sheena's mana and got surprised when he felt what signature just was. It was identical to his and Luna's children. There was just an explanation for that. Searching in his memory, he remembered of Luna once telling to him about one of their child that survived against an attack from the beasts of Gaorachia Forest and turned into fine, strong summoner. So that was his disappeared child.

Sheena noticed Vallor looking to her with a peculiar expression. When the spirit noticed her gaze on him, he shook his head, saying he was thinking in other thing. Sheena tilted her head with curiosity. That explanation sounded more like an excuse to cover something. Vallor then changed the subject:

"Now before you go back to your world, I want to say some words to you. Remember of what you made in this fight. Remember of how you fought against me. If you can fight with all your determination, hope and heart there's no foe that can stay in your way. Nebilim spent years of research trying to find a way to destroy and control these three things and, in his ignorance, he always thought of the bounds between people's hearts like a weakness. That is the power that he cannot comprehend and the key to defeat him.

"But be aware. Nebilim is also a master in deceiving and deluding. He always saw the love and friendship between people as their weakness because he knew how fragile it could be. Don't let he uses the trust in your friends and the love you have for each other as a weapon against you, cause he'll find a way to do so if there's one."

"Don't worry Vallor. We won't let he do this. We'll defeat him together and put an end to this!", Lloyd said, clutching his fist, with a tone of determination.

Vallor smiled again at the young man and disappeared in a swirl of lights, which shot to Sheena and was absorbed by her body. Origin then motioned to them to follow him back to the entrance.

At the way, the group spoke about the fight and what they just learn from the hero of the Forgotten Ages. Sheena and Lloyd said that they truly felt stronger when they fought together. Colette said the same about fighting with them at her side.

"It's like Vallor said. When we fight alongside those we like and our objectives are the same, any foe can be defeated. Nebilim probably doesn't believe two people can be stronger when they have bounds in their hearts.", Regal stated in his usual wise tone.

"Then I think it's like the Dwarven Vow #7 said: Justice and love will always win.", Genis said.

"Gah, Genis! Give it a break, please! Don't come up with this pun here.", Lloyd whimpered, drawing a laugh from Sheena, Colette, Genis and Zelos.

"I never understood why of all the Dwarven Vows you hate specifically this one.", Raine commented.

As Lloyd explained something about the meaning of "justice" and "love" could be easily twisted and applied in anything, some of the group turned to pay attention at the way they were doing. The party then arrived at the meadow where they entered in that world and Origin opened the portal.

The group entered in the portal to go back to their world. Before go, Merilius looked back to the Golden Lands. Would he go to there when he died and stay together with his ancestors, after all he did? Something still telling him that it was highly unlike, but another part of him still saying that if he made up by all his mistakes, there was still a chance.

Sighing, the Children of the Light gave back to the shinning, spiritual plane and went back to his own...

- - - - -

When the group arrived at the meadow of Origin's Seal, the first thing they saw was a great shadow covering the forest and smoke coming from Heimdall's direction. Looking better, they let out a gasp when they caught the sight of storm clouds over Ymir Forest and an omen-like appearance above it. Nebilim's Fortress was near the border of the forest.

"Oh no.", Yuan let out, seeming greatly concerned. "They probably attacked the village."

"Then let's go, quickly!", Lloyd said, shooting to the way of the elven village...

- - - - -

It was just like when they saw the destroyed Luin. Houses were on fire with wreckages spread through all the ground, some were totally destroyed. The windmill was in pieces and they could see some blood stains here and over, but luckily, or not, none corpse. The village was attacked and there wasn't any sight of a survivor.

"How... horrible...", Colette let out, almost at tears seeing the destruction and the blood over the ground, river and the wreckages.

"Damn! I heard Nebilim once attacked one of the ancient elven cities and reduced it to scrambles, but this... this is what was left of the original elven cities... how could he attack the city where he was raised?!", Merilius let out, clutching his fists in anger.

Some of the group spread to see if they encountered any survivor. In minutes they saw that either the elves left that place, or Nebilim captured them. By all that indicated, Yuan said the former was the most probable. Lloyd moved from the group some feet away and looked to the floating city. If the attack had succeeded, why did it still there?

Before the Eternal Swordsman could think in any answer, he felt a movement behind him. Before he could turn, two strong hands catch Lloyd's and pinned him against the ground. The dual swordsman then heard a familiar voice:

"We knew you all would be dumb enough to come if we let the right bait.", Kermish said in his usual mocking smile and tone.

The others try to go and help Lloyd, but were stopped when several elemental shadows poured out of the ground, arms mutated into several, different weapons. There were a great variety of shadows, which included the types they already fought and others that seemed to be fire and wind ones.

Then a big one came from the ground, a darkness shadow. Like the others, the only part of his body that made him out as not being a pile of dark matter was his face, but this one had it behind a great steel mask. The mask had the curved spikes that were on Saul'Nor and the face had black holes, where should go the eyes, and an open mouth, which was covered by another layer of metal, with one fang at the bottom and two on the top. All that made the mask seemed some kind of a dark ritual's material.

"Back off mortals!", the shadow said in a commanding, serious voice, sounding like the voice of a soldier who took of his duties to the letter.

Lloyd was then raised from the ground with a quick move of Kermish. In an instant, Khan'Tharu also appeared and touched the hands of the boy, uniting it in his back. Ice shackles appeared around Lloyd's wrists. Khan'Tharu stilled holding the boy, who tried to break the shackles, but without success.

"You may try boy, but you'll discover magic shackles made by the energies of the underworld are harder to break then the ones made with energies of your world.", the Linch said in his ethereal, booming voice.

Kermish turned to the others who advanced to the elemental shadows and started to fight with the chaos creatures. Sighing at the resistance, the corrupted human charged a spell. He could hear Nebilim whispering to him the words of power he should say.

"Forces of darkness, I command you, cast your powers over the ones that defy me and show to them the true meaning of power. Dark Judgment!", Kermish ended by pointing his hands to the skies.

The group almost froze at hearing that. When they looked to the skies they saw not stars falling, but dark beams. The party tried to use their defensive techniques, but the surprise cost to them precious seconds. They were hit by the merciless rain of pillars of darkness energy, which released tiny explosions of darkness when touched the ground, launching some of the group to the skies, just to be hit by another beams.

When the attack ended, some of the group was on the ground, almost unconscious. They tried to stand, but just Sheena, Yuan, Raine and Genis could do so. Kermish seemed bothered to see the spell hadn't killed them. Making some signal to Khan'Tharu, who nodded, he turned to them.

"I'm sorry I can't stay to chat, but I have important business to take care of. I hope you don't mind if take your little 'eternal' friend here with me.", Kermish said, grinning at seeing Sheena and the others were too much wounded to stop him.

"You'll have to pass under me before I let you take Lloyd!", Sheena said, trying to maintain her fighting stance.

"Oh, really?", Kermish said, smirking.

In a blink of eyes, the dark magician showed his wings and flew to Sheena, punching her in the belly, making the young woman to lose the air. The female ninja curved under the hit and soon she felt Kermish punching her in the face, his fist glowing with dark energy. The summoner went to the ground and Kermish stepped his left foot on her stomach, pressing the guardian user against the ground.

Sheena tried to stand, but Kermish pressed her hard against the ground. She tried to kick him, but felt hands coming from the ground and grabbing her legs and arms, it should be the elemental shadows.

Yuan went in to rescue his friend in danger, but when he swan his weapon against Kermish, the ancient Chosen caught the blade with his fingers. Though surprised, Yuan tried to release his double-edged saber, but Kermish was grabbing it with a strength that the former Seraphim could swear he didn't have before.

"Please...", Kermish said, looking to Yuan. Dark sparks came from Kermish's hand and ran through Yuan's saber until hit the half-elf warrior and electrocute him with powerful, darkness energies.

Yuan let out a scream of pain. He then got violently repelled backwards, sliding in the ground. He tried to stand again, but he couldn't, it was like the energies Kermish hit him with were holding him in the ground. The former Seraphim knew Kermish didn't have that type of power before, when fought against him. He should have got more power with the Devil's Arms.

"Don't even think on hit me with a light.", Kermish said, turning to Raine, who was preparing to cast a spell. "It won't work and I would kill you before you could even say the first words."

The female half-elf lowered her staff and tried to analyze the situation. Lloyd still bind by Khan'Tharu and wasn't having any success in release himself. The others were on the ground and didn't show any signal that they could fight even if they stood. To complete, Sheena was now at Kermish's grasp and the dark magician could kill her if he wanted to do so.

"Now, where were we again? Oh yes, it seems I passed over you.", Kermish said, looking to Sheena and pressing his foot harder on her stomach. "You should watch out with what you speak, Children of the Light."

Sheena looked to Kermish with a confused expression. What was that mad guy talking about? She wasn't a Children of the Light. Wasn't she...? Kermish smirked at seeing Sheena's expression. Chuckling, the fallen Chosen spoke in his mocking tone:

"What? Didn't you know? My...", the ancient Chosen One turned to Merilius, who still in the ground, just looking to the scene. "I thought you would have more consideration for your missing relative, Merilius.", turning again to Sheena, with a grin that was almost insane, Kermish said. "Yes Sheena. You are one of Vallor's children. Does the name Amile sound familiar to you?"

"Merilius'... baby cousin...", it was the only words Sheena could speak at the moment, trying to comprehend what just was told to her.

"Let's consider, you're not a baby anymore. Well, it's a pity you're a Children of the Light. Lord Nebilim has a grudge too much great with your kind to even allow me to turn you into my... personal toy. I think it's like they say: nothing is perfect.", Kermish commented, shrugging.

Sheena now looked to Merilius from her position to ask him if that was really true, but she didn't even need to ask. When the magic swordsman avoided her look with an expression of guilt in his face, she immediately caught what he was just hiding from her. It was true then. She was one of Vallor's descendants. She had a family.

Kermish smirked at seeing the realization hit Sheena's figure. That situation was really much... interesting. He decided to put more lumber on the fireplace:

"Though I don't know if can call you Children of the Light. Can I, Merilius? You know, since you escaped from Lord Nebilim's little trap in Gaorachia Forest, you never really started your training to turn into a real Children of the Light, thought you got some good instruction in summoning. And I don't even feel the curse on you anymore. You're really a study case, Sheena. Maybe, because you can't be called of a Children of the Light, it means you don't belong to Vallor's family anymore. Who knows?"

Lloyd tried again to break free, with more strength this time. He wouldn't let Kermish do anything to his love, be it mock her, insult her or turn her into his... he couldn't even stand think on that. Khan'Tharu, however, was too much strong to let Lloyd help his endangered friends. The Linch then reinforced the shackles to make sure Lloyd wouldn't break it.

Sheena was struck by all of that. She wasn't of Vallor's family anymore and because of it the curse worn off on her?! Was it really possible she didn't have a family anymore? Other thoughts came to her head and buzzed in it so quickly that she didn't even notice Kermish taking his foot out of her and going to where Khan'Tharu and Lloyd were. The elemental shadows gathered around the lieutenants as Kermish started to teleport them back to the fortress.

The energies restraining Yuan finally seemed to dispel and Sheena felt her hands and feet being released. Sheena looked with horror as Kermish, the elemental shadows, the Linch and Lloyd were disappearing. Lloyd shouted her name, but was silenced when Khan'Tharu put a hand on his face and started to freeze it.

"Anary hen Ara Tharu!"**,** the bigger elemental shadow with the steel mask said, but Sheena didn't stop to think on what that meant. Lloyd could be suffocated with that mask of ice that Khan'Tharu put on him.

"LLOYD!!!", the ninja shouted, running to her boyfriend, but they disappeared before she could reach him. The City of Darkness started to move away as Sheena looked to it and shouted the name of her captured lover. "LLOYD!!! LLOOOOYYYYYD!!!!!"

* * *

A.N. 1: To anybody that might be asking what that elemental shadow just said, it's elven. The translation is: Glory for the True Order!

A.N. 2: Just to remember you, what Vallor did in his test was move away the light of our favarite gang's hearts. It isn't nearly as serious as a possession. In the fight with Silver Dragon they merely had to face their darkness alone, but when Nebilim tried to possess, he made their darkness got stronger and acessed his victims' most painful memories and emotions and, using his sweetly venous voice, pierce them right in the wound.

For more details, see the chapters of "Dark Whispers" part of the fic. So you'll get a better idea of the difference between the power of the two techniques.


	43. Critical Point

The time for the final battle is getting close. All the options are turning to just one point. The weapons and strategies are being settled. My, is this suspense killing all of you as is it killing me?

The ones of you that were curious about the element of Kermish now will have an answer here! Just remember: above all, Kermish is a twisted, psycho, insane guy, so the theory of the element may even be right, but the application may not be what he thinks it is.

* * *

**Chapter 43**

**Critical Point**

"YOU KNEW IT! You knew it and you didn't tell me anything?!?!", Sheena shouted at Merilius, who looked to the ground.

Since the group returned to Flanoir Base, dragging Sheena for her not go by herself after Lloyd, Merilius hadn't said a single word and after the female ninja had recovered she shot by all the way to there an ugly look to him. Now, in Yuan's office, she started the discussion that everybody knew was about to come.

"Why do you didn't told me?! Was it because of this thing I wasn't trained and initiated in your family rituals?!", the grand summoner questioned again, in a tone of someone that was clearly demanding answers.

"I... it... it was because...", Merilius stuttered, trying to find an excuse, but all of that just made Sheena got angrier at the Children of the Light.

"So, do you want to know what?! If you don't want to accept me because of all this fussy, THEN YOUR LOST! I have a family in Mizuho that will accept me by what I am!!!", Sheena again shouted at him, making the light warrior flinch.

The rest of the group didn't even tried to defend Merilius or calm down Sheena. For them, the magic swordsman deserved that for had hidden such secret from Sheena. She had the right to know what her true family was and what happened with her parents. If what Kermish said was true, then Merilius didn't told to her because, in Merilius' view, Sheena wasn't a Children of the Light, but that wasn't a justification for not to tell her about that.

Raine then approached the two, a serious expression in her face. She then asked to Merilius:

"Is it that important your traditions that you would ignore a missing member of your family that just survived because of the generosity of others?"

"Of course not.", a voice sounded in the room.

The heroes looked around to locate the source of the voice. The necklace in Sheena's neck started to glow and when she looked to it, tiny lights shot out from the stone in the necklace and started to unite. Vallor's figure materialized in the air and the spirit hero looked to them with a serious expression in his face, more serious than any they saw until that moment.

"None ritual or tradition worth the life of one.", Vallor then looked to Merilius, who gulped and again lowered his head. "It seems my child has forgotten this. I didn't know a life standing near Nebilim's spirit had influenced him this far, I'm sorry.", Vallor closed his eyes, but there was more in his tone than apology. It sounded like deception. "I'll have a talk with you after this."

"You knew it too, didn't you?!", Sheena demanded from the ancient hero.

In other occasion Merilius would have reprimanded someone by speaking to his ancestor like that, but he felt that he hadn't the right to interrupt Sheena after all he hid from her. Vallor then looked to his long lost child and spoke:

"I got to know after I sensed your mana and Luna knew it since the first she saw you. We couldn't say though, cause it was a secret that you should discover. I was allowed to interfere, but not this far into people's life. I swear, if it wasn't for this rule that I'm bound to, I would have told to you."

Sheena stilled angry at them. Angry for them hid her origins, for hid who she was supposed to be. A part of her could understand why Vallor and Luna stayed silent about that, but another part couldn't help, but be angry by them had hidden that from her.

Then another feeling came. A feeling of desperation. What all of that mattered? Lloyd was captured by Kermish and Nebilim and spirits knew what they could be doing with her love right now. She could take care of that matter latter and even kill Merilius by his selfishness, but right now she had to rescue Lloyd.

"Ok. I don't forgive you yet, but I understand.", Sheena said, meaning Vallor. "Could we save all this subject to after we rescue Lloyd?"

"I agree.", Yuan said, nodding. "You can take care of this personal subject after we rescue Lloyd and defeat Kermish and Nebilim. Vallor. You know the city, so what is the most probable local where they could be maintaining Lloyd and the elves captives."

"Oh yeah. I forgot they could have captured them.", Genis commented.

Vallor then said he could show to them if they had something that could show an image of the city. Yuan suggested for them to go to the room where the Renegades that worked on the surveillance network system were. They had took some pictures while they analyzed the City of Darkness when it still sealed by the barrier of the crystals. The Renegades' leader also spoke something about a global position system, or something, that they had been worked on and could show an actual image of the fortress.

The hero of the Forgotten Ages agreed and all the group stood to follow Yuan, save by Sheena, who stayed behind. Colette noticed that and approached her worried friend, asking if she wouldn't come with them. The grand summoner didn't answer at first, she just put her hand over her chest, groaning and slightly clutching it, like it was hurting. When the blond angel asked with worry what was that, Sheena answered:

"I have a bad... really bad sensation... they're doing something to Lloyd. I can feel it right in my heart. They can kill him or try and use him against us.", the female ninja's tone indicated she was holding back tears.

"Sheena, I also feel it and I also don't like it, but remember what Yuan said when you tried to go after him in Heimdall: we can't do something rushy our we can go right into a trap. I also wanted to go by myself and rescue him, but this is what Nebilim wants.", the blond Chosen said, with her hands clasped in a prayer way.

Sheena didn't say anything and when Colette approached and called her name, the female ninja turned and hugged her friend, tears running freely. Colette hugged her older friend back, trying her best to console the frightened summoner.

Without Sheena notice, a single tear ran through Colette's cheek. The angel was also very worried with what could be happening with Lloyd in that place that radiated with fear and death...

- - - - -

Moments before, Lloyd woke with his head buzzing. The first thing his mind registered was the smell of fresh blood. Trying his best to recover the senses in the quickest way he could, the Eternal Swordsman finally got his sight into focus and felt that he had his hands and feet chained to the ground. His scarps were empty, meaning he was truly imprisoned.

Trying to find if he was wounded in any way, Lloyd didn't find anything out of normal, except by his situation and... the local where he was. He was in a great room, made of black stone, the size of the Renegades' gym, with cathedral-like glass windows, which gave sight to the clouded skies outside. The local where he was chained seemed like some kind of square platform with four obelisks at the extremities. Red runes shone in the obelisks' surface.

If Lloyd found that local creepy, he started to consider it gruesome once he looked to the ground. Around him were more runes, drew in blood. Those runes were the source of the foul smell that invaded his nostrils and the dual swordsman finally understood what was going on. He should be at Nebilim's Fortress. And that should be some kind of room for rituals.

_And I must be the offering, or sacrifice, or whatever they will kill to make the magic. Damn! I have to get out of here!_, the red clad warrior thought.

Lloyd tried to break the chains that bound him to the floor, but it was useless. Those chains seemed to be made of some kind of material that Lloyd never saw before and was harder than anything he knew. It could be myrthrill, but the color was too much dull to be it. When myrthrill was refined it gained a bright color, not the dull tone those chains had.

A door opened at Lloyd's right of the room and two figures entered, talking about something. Sharpening his hearing with the angel powers of his exphere, Lloyd could hear Kermish's and Khan'Tharu's voices:

"... so, this is the demonic jewel that Nebilim seek. I must admit that I'm impressed we could forge such thing using the expheres.", Kermish said, while holding something Lloyd couldn't see right.

"You should be thankful for you to have these soul gems, these expheres, like you called. In your time, soul gems could only be obtained from Niflheim, brought by demons, and even so it wasn't any ordinary demon who could bring these...", Khan'Tharu explained, but Kermish wasn't even looking to him. The ancient Chosen then made a signal with his hand, still looking to whatever he was holding.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you said, bone lad."

Khan'Tharu made a strange noise, he seemed to be trying to hold some reply to Kermish. The Linch then mumbled something that Lloyd caught with his angel hearing, but seemed to pass unnoticed by Kermish:

"He should show some more respect, this little human rat..."

The two stopped near the platform and saw that Lloyd was awake. Kermish grinned at seeing the Eternal Swordsman chained and that worried Lloyd. What was that crazy guy planing to do with him? Lloyd felt a chill in his spine when he noticed that Khan'Tharu was gazing at his eyes with that same chilling look he gave to them when they first encountered the Linch.

"Could you look to other place? You totally creep me out.", the young man said to the undead mage at his front.

Khan'Tharu answered by slapping Lloyd in the right cheek with the back of his skeletal hand. The blow had a force that the boy would never associate to a skeleton and sent him to the ground.

Kermish then approached to Lloyd while he sat again. Now it wasn't just Khan'Tharu who was creeping him out. Kermish looked to him like a scientist looking to it's research subject. That made the Eternal Swordsman to look for a possible escape route, but he didn't find anything that could help him.

"You'll find that it's impossible to escape from this city.", Kermish said, guessing what Lloyd was thinking. "Now be a good boy and stay quite while I conduct the experiment."

"Experiment? What experiment?! What are you going to do with me?! And what did you do to the elves?!", Lloyd asked with a worried tone and in a demanding way at the same time, which won another backhand from Khan'Tharu.

"Behave yourself in the house of Lord Nebilim. Your kind is as impudent as...", the Linch said, but was interrupted when Kermish held his raised hand.

"Now, now. Don't be so harsh over our guest Khan'Tharu. I think he has the right to know what he'll just cooperate with. What can he do, bound in the way he is."

The undead mage pulled his hand out of Kermish's grip, like he didn't want to get himself contaminated by some strange disease the deranged Chosen had. Making a sound, which seemed like an "humph", he turned to the side, in a way that said he didn't approve what the dark magician was proposing.

Kermish sighed, mumbling something about "bony head". That made Lloyd to wonder if those two were really at the same side. Khan'Tharu seemed extremely displeased with Kermish's attitudes while the resurrected man was acting... like the same selfish, moron he was. Kermish then turned to Lloyd and knelled at the boy's level, who already sat again.

"About the elves, don't worry your little head. I know how it can be painful for you to think.", Lloyd tried to at least release his hands to punch that arrogant bastard. It was incredible how he could insult people at each sentence he spoke. "They're right here, in the city. Lord Nebilim decided to visit Heimdall to recruit new elven blood. You know, none of his old elven followers survived and his elite army was either eliminated or turned into demons while they tried to combat Vallor and his group when he invaded.

"Naturally, he wasn't any pleased in find what had become of the elves...

_"What happened with all of you?!", a specter with flames flickering around his body shouted, materializing above a blond man, who was standing at the middle of the hidden elven city. "You rejected our noble magic heritage and turned into pussy cats! Mere shadows of the humans!"_

_The elves that were walking around stopped when they heard a furious and menacing voice shouting at everybody around. Children hid behind their mothers, feeling a fear of the strange, flaming spirit that they didn't know how to describe. Women caught their nearby families and ran to their houses, feeling the same fear that child. The men felt a chill in their spine and stood ready for the case of an attack._

_The elf elder, who was near the center of the village, walked until stay at hearing range of the man with the flaming wraith floating above him. He seemed as worried as the rest of his people, but his duty and pride demanded him to know why that spirit was accusing his people of abandoning their magic ways._

"_Who are you and why you blame us for something you know nothing about?", the elf elder spoke, trying to sound authoritarian and confident, but his tone had a glimpse of fear on it._

"_Who am I?", Nebilim repeated the question, sounding surprised. The specter then lowered his head. A low chuckle came from the spirit as he looked to the elves around him again. "I see. So they erased me from the history books... well, that doesn't matter. Soon you all will know my name... and will remember it for the rest of your life."_

_Tens of demons and elemental shadows appeared by all over the village, drawing their weapons and startling the elves. A bigger shadow, wearing a steel mask, sprouted from the ground behind the specter and from behind it appeared a skeletal figure, which took the elves out of their shocked states and spread the general panic._

"_Fear for your life and face the truth, faithless wanders. Lord Nebilim has finally returned!", the skeleton spoke in a booming, ethereal voice, which made the hearts of the nearby elves tremble in fear and felt a strange cold..._

As Kermish ended to tell how they invaded and easily razed Heimdall, Lloyd felt again the desire to break that chains and kill that dead Chosen with his bare hands, not caring if he would die in the process. In that moment, the Eternal Swordsman would give anything to inflict all the pain he could on Kermish.

"They're on the dungeons now. Nebilim doesn't have much hope that the adult elves can be 'saved'. He's putting his bet on the younger generations and hopes that soon the elves will have their magic lore back, together with some improvements he plans to make.", the ancient Chosen said, grinning again.

Lloyd could imagine what these "improvements" Nebilim planned to do were. He probably would force the young elves to learn demonic and darkness magic and the red clad angel doubted Nebilim would be a nice teacher as Professor Sage could be.

Kermish then ended to tell Lloyd that they decided to wait them for to come and check Heimdall, so they could take him to the fortress. Lloyd then asked why him. Kermish chuckled, before answer:

"Simple, my slow friend.", another insult. Lloyd felt his anger for that deranged man hit a new level. "All that fight against the elemental shadows for the crystals of the barrier was a test. I know your friend, Merilius, discovered we were peeping on you, so you probably already know that we were testing you to see what your true level of power was. It was Lord Nebilim, Lloyd, who planned those strategies the shadows used. It was him who said to them to change the mana flows so even the Summon Spirits would be blind to what was truly happening. And it was him who chooses you, like the most powerful of your friends and the biggest, potential menace we could have.

"And like the most powerful of your little gang, you were the most indicated to participate on Nebilim's plan.", Kermish then stretched his right hand and opened it, at the palm was the object Kermish was looking to, when he entered in the room.

It was an exphere, but Lloyd could feel something wrong about it. Even being human, the Eternal Swordsman could feel that exphere wasn't like any other he saw before, it was even different of his. A strange, black, liquid-like matter danced inside the crystal and it was glowing with a weak, blood red aura.

Feelings of hate, sorrow, despair and fear entered inside the Eternal Swordsman's heart while he gaze at the strange sphere, but those feelings weren't his. Lloyd then found why he was feeling that. Those feelings were being transmitted to him by the exphere.

"What did you make with it?", Lloyd asked, sounding indignant.

Kermish wasn't looking to him, he was looking to the changed exphere with a caring expression, like it was his own child or the most precious thing that he ever saw. Lloyd could find just one word to describe the look Kermish was giving to the cursed stone. Sickly.

"Beautiful, isn't it?", the mad Chosen said, now looking to Lloyd. "This is why we gathered all those expheres. To merge all of them and form this relic, the Doom's Blood. You probably heard Khan'Tharu speaking about all that babble of soul gems and everything.", the said Linch made again a sound that Lloyd identified as the Linch version to "humph". "Well, to merge all that expheres together and create this one, we needed to catalyze the negative emotions of the souls that were used to awaken the expheres, using the demonic arts.

"All the process took several days to be done, but it was easy for Nebilim to seek the souls that were absorbed by the expheres and made each of them to remember their final moments of horror and hatred for those who killed them and transformed them into these stones. Now, with this special exphere, I'll have enough power to control any opposing element and merge it together to form a new one."

"Again this 'new element' talk! Why would you want so much this thing that you would join forces with a sickly bastard as Nebilim?!"

Lloyd's insult earned another slap from Khan'Tharu and the boy again encountered the hard stone floor, which he was turning much acquainted with. Frost magic flickered in the skeletal mage's hands, he seemed to be holding himself to not throw those energies at the boy.

Kermish just watched Lloyd sat again with a smile. Though, he seemed some angry when he answered to Lloyd again:

"Great advances requires for us to take some unusual measures, stupid boy.", the ancient Chosen said the last word with a tone of hatred. "This new element will not just make me to be know as the biggest Chosen One of all the world. It'll also fix all the wrongs that exist in this world. The new element that I want to bring is the Void!"

"Void? But void is nothing.", Lloyd asked. Now Kermish wasn't making any sense.

"No. Nothing is what the Void leads to. Void is a force that devours anything in it's way, giving us the chance to remake it. Nebilim helped me to find a way I could call the Void to this world and once I'm done with the testing phase, I'll be ready to use freely and correct the chaos that this world is!"

Khan'Tharu made a strange noise as Kermish talked about his element. Lloyd couldn't identify if it was a chuckle or a whimper. The dual swordsman then turned back to Kermish, who continued to talk, now sounding like an insane dreamer:

"You know what? Nebilim is right. This world is a mess with all the different powers over it, powers that cause wars and fights. But if just one power existed, a power that could deny the others and turns absolute, then we could truly have peace. I'll be known as the Chosen who brought peace to a chaotic world!"

"All that you'll do is to cause more fights and more deaths. I know these 'powers' you're talking about is Tethe'alla and Sylvarant. Do you realize how many people you would kill by trying to eliminate both Tethe'alla and Sylvarant?!"

"You obviously don't understand the greatness of my objectives, do you?!"

"No! You're the one who doesn't understand! Did you stay so much time together with Nebilim that now you're thinking like him?! I heard from all the terrible things he done and I can't believe someone would willingly do the same things. When an ideal costs people's life, it's not an ideal, it's a selfish desire!"

Lloyd got backhanded one more time, but this time it was by Kermish, attracting even Khan'Tharu's attention. The mad Chosen seemed that in that moment would start to foam while he stood. It seemed Lloyd had made a bad move when he spoke that about Kermish's idea.

"Take. This. Back!", the Chosen said slowly, in a tone of controlled anger. When Lloyd said "no", Kermish kicked him in the stomach, hard. "I said to take it back!"

"Enough with it!", Khan'Tharu spoke by the first time in a while. The two contrasting warriors looked to the Linch. "We need him alive to awaken the demon jewel, so control yourself Kermish!"

"Awaken... ?!", Lloyd mumbled, sitting again and realizing, in horror, what they meant with that.

Kermish passed the hand through his hair, like he wanted to adjust it. He seemed to be calmer now for someone who looked ready to slaughter gruesomely someone. Lloyd could still feeling his stomach pain from the kick the dead Chosen gave on him.

"You're a lucky one, Lloyd. Unfortunately, when we merged the expheres to form Doom's Blood, it reverted back to the state of a dormant exphere. So we need someone to awaken it, but it can't be anyone. If not, the jewel would absorb the person's soul without awake. Nebilim also needs the jewel to release his spirit completely from the Devil's Arms and get a new body. So we need someone that has a strong spirit not just to survive to the awakening process, but also a strong body to stand the transference of Nebilim's soul to the crystal.

"All that Nebilim wants is his old powers back and a new body. Your body is the best choice. You'll be the new body of Nebilim, Lloyd. When the process of awakening and the transference of part of Nebilim's soul to the crystal is complete, your soul will be absorbed by Nebilim. You see? Nebilim was nice enough to not waste your soul sending it to wander around the fortress like many of his enemies'.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Don't worry with your own exphere.", Kermish said, now looking to Lloyd's exphere. "Once the process is done, maybe Nebilim will be in good mood and will be merciful enough to send your soul to your exphere, so you'll encounter your mommy. Isn't that good?"

Kermish again grinned an insane grin and Lloyd again struggled against the chains that bound him. If there was something Lloyd hated more than someone mocking or insulting him and his friends, it was someone insulting his family.

"Don't speak of my mother, you bastard!!!", Lloyd shout at Kermish, trying to get free now with all his strengths, but again he failed. Whatever metal the chains were made of, it was stronger than anything in that world, Lloyd thought.

As the red clad warrior saw he wouldn't find anyway to escape, he tried to concentrate on distract Kermish. Maybe he could find something he could use against the Chosen One latter.

"And what about that element? If Nebilim will already use this Doom something, how will you use it to control the Void?", the Eternal Swordsman asked, trying to point the suspicion in that plan.

"Lloyd, Lloyd, Lloyd...", Kermish said while chuckling and shaking his head. "It seems you had forgotten: I was dead when Nebilim found me. I was brought back to life by Nebilim's power. I need it to live. So, once he transfers the main part of his soul to your body, he'll leave another part of his soul in the jewel for me to use. With this part of Nebilim's soul, I can live forever and made my fame immortal. See? Everybody will win in the final."

From all that he heard about Nebilim's way of thinking and the strategies he used in the past, Lloyd doubt the evil elf would let somebody walk around with a part of his soul. He was surprised by Kermish believe in the Dark Lord's promises to let him have all the credit for that new element and use it the way he wanted. That deranged Chosen One probably was being influenced by Nebilim even without he know.

"Now let's cease all of this and go back to business.", the dead magician said.

Khan'Tharu gestured his hands, pronouncing what seemed to be an incantation. The chains in Lloyd's wrists got heavier, making him to put his hands in the floor. Kermish grab the Eternal Swordsman's neck and lift him.

"Don't worry. It may hurt a lot, but when it's end, you won't feel anything anymore. I promise.", Kermish said.

After said that, the deranged Chosen opened the first buttons of Lloyd's jacket and left the collar of the boy exposed. The dark magician then thrust the exphere in red clad angel's collar. When the demon jewel made contact with the skin, it immediately was half-absorbed and glowed with the same blood red aura of before. The aura then extended and made an evil-looking, dark Key Crest appear.

When Kermish left Lloyd go and the dual swordsman hit the ground, still with the sensation of increased weight on the chains, the Eternal Swordsman felt an excruciating pain, like none he had ever felt in his entire life. He twisted in the ground like he was having an attack or a convulsion, but the screams of pure pain said that it was far away of being anything near that.

Never before, had Lloyd felt anything like what he was feeling now. It was like something was ripping him inside out. Like something was trying to torn apart his soul and was having success...

- - - - -

Sheena and Colette entered in the room where Vallor was discussing with the others the details of the invasion. Around the room were some Renegades working in terminals and, at the opposite wall to the door, was a big computer screen. At the moment, the computer showed an image of the City of Darkness.

Yuan was sat in a chair, near a big keyboard, and was talking to Vallor when Sheena and Colette entered. The two stopped once the two girls came and asked if they were alright. At the nod of the two friends, Vallor spoke:

"We were discussing about Nebilim's plans to these expheres. By what you spoke to me about the combat amplifying propriety of these stones, it seems these expheres are much alike soul gems.", Genis asked what were those soul gems when Vallor stopped. "Soul gems are crystals that were used mainly by the demons. They could absorb the souls of the victims of its wearer and assimilates it to amplify its power, in a similar way your expheres make with people to awake.

"In my time, soul gems didn't exist in this world and could only be bring here by the demons of Niflheim, thought even in the underworld these gems are rare. Just the Great Demons and the Demon Lords could produce these gems, by using parts of their own souls to mold the crystals. The soul gems were more used by the demons in their own wars for position and glory in the underworld."

"I don't know exactly when the expheres were discovered. In my time, they were already being used, thought I know they're excavated from the underground, so it's probable that it was the dwarves who first presented it to the researches and scholars.", Yuan said.

As the subject turned back to Nebilim's plans for the expheres, Vallor said he could bet his position like an illuminated spirit that Nebilim would use the expheres to get his body and his powers back. However, the ancient hero didn't have any idea of how Nebilim would do this.

Sheena then turned their attention back to a subject she considered the most important. Why did Kermish capture Lloyd and what did Nebilim plan to do with her boyfriend? Again Vallor didn't know what could be Nebilim's plans for the Eternal Swordsman, but he suspected it had something to do with Lloyd's strength.

"Lloyd is powerful enough without the Eternal Sword to call Nebilim's attention. His heart, his ideals and his will to fight for this world and the people close to him alone make him a big threat in Nebilim's view. He probably plans to use your lover to gain more power, my daughter.", Sheena got flushed by being called of daughter by Vallor. She still thinking that what Kermish and Merilius thought about her not belonging to Ishtar lineage was true. "So, he probably is being held here..."

Vallor pointed to the castle inside the city. Yuan took the cue and zoomed the image as the hero of the Forgotten Ages continued to point. The leader of the Renegades stopped when great, cathedral-like windows came in focus.

"These windows gave view to the ritual room, a room specially made for Nebilim to perform dark and demonic rituals as well demon summoning. If they plan to use Lloyd, then there's great chance of him being held prisoner in this room."

"And where do you think they would maintain the Material Blades? I doubt Nebilim would let Lloyd have his swords to facilitate an escape.", Raine asked.

"The library would be the most logical local. It's there where Nebilim maintained his treasures. It's also there where all the records and books made in the Forgotten Ages are. Though, they were all written by Ara Tharu and its followers, so you won't find accurate information about the happenings of the Forgotten Ages there, only 'Nebilim's view' about the subjects.", Vallor answered, when taking Raine's gleam when she heard the word "records".

The half-elven teacher sighed and Zelos tapped her in the shoulder, like to console her. Genis eyed that with a suspicious look. Did that perverted Chosen just touch his sister and she didn't slap him? That was really strange. But the mind of the young warlock came back to the subject in hand when Colette said:

"We should go rescue Lloyd first."

"But even if we do that, he won't have any weapon to defend himself.", Zelos objected.

"Then it seems we'll have to split into two teams.", Yuan said. "One will rescue Lloyd while the other recovers the Eternal Sword."

"But what about the elves?", Presea then asked.

The group thought on that. It wouldn't be easy to take all the elves out of the floating city and they doubt they could do several travels through the Rheairds to return the elves to the land in safety without Nebilim or Kermish notice.

The answer came when a flash appeared and a strong, solemn voice sounded:

"We can return the elves to the land, we just need you reach the dungeons so we'll transport them out of the fortress."

"But Origin. You once said to me that you couldn't hear the call of a summoner inside the fortress. If you got out, you may not be able to return so easily. You said that it was necessary all of you be together to pass trough the City of Darkness' defenses.", Vallor said, remembering the great King from the time they invaded the fortress.

"Yes, but remember in that time we had a similar situation, when we had to release Nebilim's prisoners and everything ended alright in the final, even without my presence. Have faith and the same will happen again."

Vallor just nodded at the King of the Summon Spirits. The ancient hero then turned to the others, saying they could rescue the elves after they rescued Lloyd. The group was about to nod when Denvir rushed to the room. It seemed he had run all the way to that room. Panting, the second in command reported:

"Lord Yuan, the fortress started to move again. We tracked its route and it's going to Meltokio.", Yuan, Vallor and Merilius cursed while the others gasped. None of them was more startled by the new than Zelos.

"But my sister is there!", the red headed warrior commented.

"I should have foreseen this. Nebilim started the empire of Ara Tharu by murdering the King of Tethe'alla of my time and burning Meltokio to ashes.", Vallor pronounced.

"Indeed. If the king got killed it would call the attention of the entire world, mainly Tethe'alla's nobles. The population would be in panic for Meltokio is the most guarded city of all the country. If someone achieved to kill the King, then it would mean this person has great powers.", Regal stated.

Yuan also knew the fact of the fortress going to Meltokio and start an attack that possibly could eliminate good part, if not all, the city's militia would have great repercussions in the global scenery. They had to stop that floating city before it reach Meltokio.

"Vallor, is there a way to change the course of the city?", the former Seraphim asked to the spirit hero.

"The fortress' mechanisms of floating are all controlled by the Elemental Heart. The control is in the Chamber of the Heart. It's way to the dungeons, so we can rescue the elves and change the route of the fortress at the same time.", the spirit hero spoke.

"Ok. So you all prepare yourselves with your best equipments. We're going to that fortress immediately!", Yuan ordered to Sheena and the rest of the group. The leader of the Renegades then turned to his right arm. "Denvir, reunite all the troops we can muster and go to Meltokio. Say my name to the King and told him that his city may be attacked by demons. If the battle begins before we reach the Chamber of the Heart, I want you to defend the city at all costs."

As Denvir nodded, Origin disappeared and the group exited the room. Merilius was about to go out when Sheena called him. Turning in fear of receive another scold from his adult cousin, Merilius got surprised by seeing that Sheena wasn't with an angry expression, but an apologetic one.

Vallor watched as his two children spoke, making his presence unnoticeable to not interrupt the two. Sheena's ancestor could feel what she was about to speak.

"I... wanted to apologize myself for my behavior before. I was angry and very upset by all that happened and such... so I want to apologize by have shouted at you. I know how it's difficult for someone to trust in one that isn't from your people.", the female ninja said[.

Merilius widened his eyes at seeing she act like that. He would gladly receive another scold or insults that she could throw at him, but, instead, she was asking him to forgive her for her behavior. His cousin... she had transformed in such a virtuous and beautiful woman... she was a person much better than he could ever hope to be.

Chuckling at the irony that he thought such good person didn't belong to his family, the light warrior said:

"But the question is: you are of my family, Sheena. You are.", the magic swordsman then turned around, giving his back to her, looking to the ground while he said the next words. "All these years... imagining where you could be... if you had survived... if the ones that could have found you were being nice to you... and now you're here. My uncles... your parents would be proud of you."

Sheena didn't know what to say. Merilius was now saying that her parents, who she didn't remember and never got to know, would be proud of her. Another thing then caught her attention, the sound of a drop falling in the metal floor. When she looked to Merilius' feet, she saw another tear falling.

The female ninja heard he saying something, more to himself, but loud sufficient for her to catch:

"When I imagined you with other, nice family... away of Nebilim... away of this curse... I admit that... I envied this vision. And it seems I was right... you would be a much better representative of our family than I could ever be..."

Without say anything more or turn to face Sheena, Merilius exited the room, leaving his summoner cousin confused at what he just had said. Did he really mean that? Would she really be a better representative for Ishtar family than Merilius was? Realizing what just the Children of the Light meant, Sheena couldn't help, but feel sorry by all that happened to him.

Vallor seemed surprised by the sudden confession of his child. He could feel how heavy Merilius' heart was. It seemed that now that Merilius realized what way his life took and how he could have enjoyed it, he started to realize all the years he lost watching over Nebilim and the Devil's Arms.

To Merilius, Sheena was the image... the proof of what he could have been if he hadn't left Nebilim took the control of his life. The ancient hero feared how Merilius would react once he started to realize all the time he lost.

_He will now need all the strength that there is in his heart. This regret he now felt, may be the door to a new darkness enter in his heart..._, the spirit hero thought.

* * *

So what will happen now? Will the group arrive in time to save Lloyd from Nebilim's clutches? Will Kermish obtain the control over the Void that he covets? Will Merilius stop to be so emo? Wait for the next chapter and you may have the answers!

Any doubts about the theories in this chapter and concepts, ask me in the review and I may answer back or post it with the next chapter. Latter!!! 8)


	44. Entering in the City of Darkness

Finaly, what you all were waiting for, the invasion to the City of Darkness!

Prepare for much action, decisive battles and great challanges!

* * *

**Chapter 44**

**Entering in the City of Darkness**

That was meant to be a sunny day, with no cloud in the skies. But, in truth, the weather was far away of be like that. Storm clouds swirled over Altamira continent as a great fortress floated, spreading its great shadow over the earth.

Beneath the fortress, was a great army of demons, shadows and some human bandits. The creatures marched as the shadow of the floating city moved . They seemed to seek heaven from the harsh solar light under the fortress' shadow and the storm around it. For anyone that wanted to reach the City of Darkness, it was clear it couldn't be by land.

It was seeing this that ten Rheairds crossed the air, aiming the floating fortress. The cry of a female voice, summoning all the entities that guarded the world, could be heard in the air. When the fleet was near the aerial space of the fortress the howling winds started to blew stronger, making the Rheairds to violently shake.

Yuan got surprised at that. Rheairds ran by mana more than the air currents, so they shouldn't suffer any type of turbulence. When the former Seraph stated this, Sephie said:

"And what do you think these winds are carried of? This is one of the defensive spells of the fortress. These winds are carried with the wandering souls around the fortress mixed with demonic energies and our mana."

After explain, the three Sylph looked to each other and nodded. Yutis went to the front of fleet and made her shield appear, but, due the weight of the equipment, she couldn't lift it and started to lose height. Sephie and Fairess sighed and went to help her sister.

When the two other wind spirits helped their sister, by grabbing the shield and Yutis' arms, they finally lifted the shield. An oval bubble of air formed around the fleet, making the Rheairds stop to shake and dividing the winds around them.

A lightning cracked in the air near to Sheena, nearer than she would have liked. As more lightnings started to fall, making the group to take some quick maneuvers, Volt went above the group, reaching the "roof" of the air bubble. The electrical spirit enchanted the bubble and when the next thunders and lightnings fell, a magical, violet shield appeared, absorbing the electrical charges and transferring it to Volt.

Sighing in relief, the group continued to their destiny: a small landscape near one of the gates of the wall that surrounded the city. When they arrived, the shields were lowered and the laments of the cursed spirits around the city reached their ears, together with a strange cold. The heroes, however, didn't stop to pay attention and entered the city.

Nebilim's Fortress was in the same way they remembered when they first entered the city, but the sensation of eyes watching them was now more intense and the sound of the howling wind and the storm clouds swirling in the skies above gave to the local a sinister weather.

Sheena and Merilius suddenly faltered in their place and threatened to fall. Yuan caught Sheena while Regal did the same with Merilius, it seemed the aura was more intense for the two to threaten to lose conscience. Shadow approached and placed his black hands above the two, bathing the Children of the Light with a black aura, coming from the darkness guardian's hands. The female summoner and the light warrior seemed to recover, standing again like nothing had happened.

"Blessed you... not fall... Nebilim's aura...", Shadow said in his slow, deep voice.

The two thanked the Summon Spirit of darkness and turned to the streets at their front. Sheena's necklace glowed and lights shot out of it. Vallor appeared and looked around, the city was the same way he remembered and the enchantments on the very streets of it seemed the same.

"Follow me and don't stay behind. The path changes to confuse the intruders.", the spirit hero instructed and walked, being followed by the party.

They barely gave two steps when a figure appeared, coming from one of the side streets. It was Scarv, bearing a smile. The lizardman spoke:

"You won't give any step more without face me first."

"Oh no, not this creep again.", Zelos said, in a bothered tone. "Hey, scale guy, can you move aside? We have a friend to save and a Dark Lord to kick the butt."

"Shut up!", the brawny lizardman growled. "This is my last chance and I'll take it. I promised to follow master Kermish's orders when he freed me and I'll do so. Plus, I'll get my revenge on the elves through you."

The mortal members of the group sighed. Did all the bad guys always say those puns? Vallor gave a smile of comprehension, like he had just discovered something about Scarv in that line, which the group hadn't noticed. The hero of the Forgotten Ages spoke:

"I see. So you're part of them, aren't you? Strange. I've heard you started to realize your mistakes and formed a group to wait for a chance to redeem yourselves.", Vallor said.

"It was _her_ idea, not mine. I was one of the few that saw all that babble about redemption and such wouldn't take us to anywhere. Master Kermish found me and offered me the chance to get my revenge and my freedom back and I accepted."

The group of heroes got confused at that. What were the two talking about? When Genis asked to Vallor what Scarv really was then, the first half-elf explained to them:

"He's one of the ancient criminals who committed crimes against the elves and were cursed and imprisoned because of it. The elves had this habit in my time, but after Nebilim took the power, they forgot about the convicts they imprisoned.

"If I'm not wrong, the curse made the criminals, both elf and human, turn into semi-dragon creatures, like you are just seeing. They were then imprisoned in the highest heights of the world, in a magical labyrinth created with the help of the dwarves, which they just could scape from with the help of someone from outside. Nebilim never seek to enlist them, cause, like any elf, he thought of them like being inferior criminals, who deserved to root by their crimes against the elves."

"Ok. This is all much interesting and such, but I don't have time for this bickering, so move your butt out of the way!", Sheena said, sounding annoyed by the time they were losing.

By the tone of the ninja's voice, the group knew she would get very angry if they still losing time with that. Though it was an interesting story, the grand summoner was right: they didn't have time to lose. The more they delayed, the more Lloyd could be suffering at Nebilim's hands.

Scarv seemed some of irritated by Sheena spoke to him with that tone. He stomped the floor, clearly meaning he wouldn't step aside.

_A great mistake._, all the members of the group thought.

Sheena again ordered for the lizardman to get out of the way. Scarv then answered with a response that made part of the group gasp and other part put their hands in the face, shaking the head:

"Force me to, you wore."

Sheena gasped at hearing that. Nobody ever called her like that and survived to tell the tale and that over sized reptile would soon have the same destiny. Griding her teeth in anger, lowering the head and drawing her seal cards, Sheena ran to the scaled warrior at an almost inhuman speed.

Scarv just had time to blink before Sheena hit him in the face with a punch sending him some meters away. The female ninja didn't stop there and again ran to him, almost turning into a blur, and released several attacks with her cards, making the lizardman's armor to crack and his whole body blame in pain as he was thrown backwards by a Demon Seal attack.

Standing, Scarv breathed fire on Sheena and when the grand summoner avoided, he formed two swords from his scales. Igniting the swords, the scaled warrior went to attack, but soon found it was nearly impossible to hit Sheena. She was just too much quick for him to catch and he was some of slow.

_Brawny and slow. If we gained a coin each time we fought against henchmen like this...,_ the heroes thought from their place, watching as Sheena again beat Scarv without give to him any chance to counter.

"Hum... should we help her?", Merilius asked, some of uncertainly if Sheena even needed some help.

"Are you crazy?! She's pwning that guy like he's a dead ass. Believe in me, we know her by quite some time and insult her like that is the last thing a guy would do in his life.", Gnome said. The other spirits and mortal members of the group nodded.

Scarv kissed the floor when Sheena hit him with a sequence of kicks, punches and elbows, some of which were martial arts of her village. As the lizardman put his hands in the ground, trying to stand, he grumbled another foul insult to Sheena. Several vein marks appeared in the female ninja's head as she spoke, in a really angry tone:

"You're. A. Dead. Lizard!"

"Man, that guy is simply singing his will. Even I am not this dumb to say call Sheena like this.", Zelos said.

"And people think bad manners never killed anybody...", Raine stated.

Scarv tried to hit Sheena again, but she jumped above him, enchanting herself with earth element, and kicked the lizardman in midair with such strength that he was thrown at the door of a nearby house and broke it.

As the summoner entered in the house, sounds of beating could be heard outside, making part of the group to leave a big drop to run at the back of their heads. Gnome commented:

"Remember me latter to limit the amount of my mana she can use. She used an amount I use to make metals."

"I'm starting to think you all are really family.", Vallor said to the Summon Spirits. He watched all the fight mouth agape, smiling nervously as his female descendant beat Scarv. "By what I remember, Celsius is the temperamental one."

"Hey!", Celsius called.

Scarv then flew out of the house by a window, breaking the glass and landing with his face on the ground. Sheena jumped out of the window, cards in hand, ready to strike again. The lizardman looked to her with a fearful expression when she started to walk in his direction.

In a desperate attempt to protect himself, Scarv cut the air at his front, launching a burning blade at Sheena's direction. The lizardman continued to launch blades like crazy at her, but Sheena enchanted her cards with water mana and ran at her opponent, throwing cards at each blade, making it to dissipate in a cloud of steam.

When the female ninja was near to him, Scarv tried to again hit her. Sheena avoided and drew her dagger, quickly putting a seal around the blade and enchanting it with lightning. Before the lizardman could attack again, Sheena slashed at him, cutting the armor and opening a large gash.

Sparks ran by the lizard's body as he was electrocuted, making him to roar in pain. When the sparks disappeared, Scarv fell limp to the ground, leaving his blade fall from his hands. The party stood in awe, looking to Sheena with a worried expression.

The female ninja looked to them and the heroes and spirits gulped, but soon relaxed when they saw she was in her normal mood again. The summoner then said:

"So, what are you waiting for? We have to rescue Lloyd."

The group just nodded with her, still fearing she was angry in any way. Again they tried to go, but when they passed by Scarv's body in the ground, they heard him mumble. Turning, the group saw the lizardman trying to stand, holding one arm. He didn't seem in conditions to fight anymore.

"I... can't... lose...", he said.

"But you lost. Why didn't you believe in your brethren and worked to get your redemption?", Merilius asked.

"Redemption wouldn't take us out of that pit... It wouldn't give me back my freedom..."

Vallor then walked to the front of the group with the same serious look he had when he got know about Merilius not telling Sheena her origins.

"And what did you just do? You traded a prison for another. Do you think Nebilim let anybody that worked for him simply go away? No. When somebody ceased his utility to him, he eliminated this one..."

"And that is what will happen to you.", a voice came from behind Scarv.

Before the group could notice or Scarv turn, an entirely black, clawed hand thrust at the back of the lizardman and exited from the cursed criminal's gut, splashing blood on the ground. Scarv tried to scream, but the hand was so big that it had cut through his lungs.

Scarv tried to turn and see who his assassin was. All he could distinguish from the great mass of black matter was an evil-looking steel mask. The lizardman widened his eyes at seeing the elemental shadow.

"You're so pathetic that I'm impressed Lord Nebilim didn't give me word to eliminate you before.", the shadow hissed in a deep voice, with the accent of the elemental shadows.

The darkness being then shaped the hand inside Scarv's chest into a double-edged ax, cutting the scaled warrior in two, inside out. The group of heroes gasped and some of the girls clasped their mouths at the cruel act. The shadow turned to the group, making them all drew their weapons.

"Hu, they didn't make warriors like in the old times. Don't you think, Vallor?", the elemental shadow said, making a noise that seemed a chuckle.

"Kair'Nor...", Vallor murmured under his breath, showing some anger in his tone for the first time, though little. Sheena and the others got confused at that and looked to the Summon Spirits, asking for an answer.

"He's the first darkness shadow to join Nebilim and one of the most feared and highest generals in Ara Tharu.", Luna explained. "He led several attacks against villages and cities, including Vallor's home. He tortured Vallor's parents, trying to get any information from them about him. The two didn't tell anything, cause they didn't know, but they were tortured until they got crippled for all their life."

If there was something that could make anger sting someone even after he turned into a illuminated spirit, it should be that, the heroes thought. Vallor seemed really unpleased to see the shadow general again.

"Yes, I did all of this. I'm here to follow Lord Nebilim's order and eliminate the menaces to his plans. Er thery on tharu! In the name of the order!", Kair'Nor sais, speaking some of ancient elven.

The great shadow then transformed his ax-arm back into its black, clawed form and meld it back to his body. Turning all his body, Kair'Nor started to slowly approach to them, "sliding" in the ground like a spectral envoy of the death. Sheena then asked to Vallor:

"Can we defeat him quickly?"

"No.", the spirit hero simply replied.

"That was all I needed to know... run!", the female ninja shout to her friends.

The group then quickly turned and started to run, Vallor leading them by the streets. The Summon Spirits faded, but Sheena could feel their presence with her. From behind them, the heroes could hear the shadow speaking:

"Want to play of Hunt 'n Destroy? Good. My favorite game."

They turned and entered into several streets, some thin, others thick. It seemed they were moving away and away of the central street at each bend. When they turned and entered in another street, they saw Kair appearing from the ground some meters at their front.

"Here! Quickly!!!", Vallor pointed to a house nearby, when the elemental shadow's mask opened the metal layer in the mouth and shining energy started to concentrate inside the hole.

The group rushed inside the house. Kair'Nor then released a blast of powerful chaos energy and directed it to the house. The building exploded once the breath touched it, sending rumbles and pieces to everywhere.

The shadow general's mask closed the hole of the mouth and he was about to smile at the work, when he saw the group entering in the street at his left and running at all speed. Kair cursed, the house should have a back exit.

The heroes continued to run. The castle at the deep of the city was getting into view now, as the the streets got thicker and gave to them more space to see the skies. Turning to the left, they again found themselves at the central street. The doors of Nebilim's castle were at sight, but right at their front a shadow started to slowly came from the ground.

Part of the group cursed. Vallor had said they should go straight now, but Kair was blocking their path. The elemental shadow transformed his body into a black fog and started to advance to them. Genis got at the front of the group, saying:

"That's enough for me. I'll take care of this.", the young warlock started to charge a spell. "Reduce all the evil to ashes. Explosion!"

The concentrated ball of fire rained from the sky. Kair'Nor felt the strong energy above him and looked up, at time to see the spell coming to his face. If they could see his eyes, Genis was certainly they would be wide now. When the magic attack hit the shadow general, the explosion released was stronger than it should, making wind blew at the direction of the group. Green-poison smoke rose from the local.

"Well... that was strange. I think it's what happens when you mix gaseous darkness and fire. At least, it was easy.", Genis said, shrugging.

"It wasn't! Behind us!", Presea warned. Turning around, the group saw an army of elemental shadows coming to them by the central street.

The army was as big as the one they faced in the Darkness Temple, or even bigger, due as the mass advanced, more elemental shadows poured out of the streets. They knew they couldn't face an army that big even if they had time to.

The Sylph, Aska and Gnome appeared in flashes of green, yellow and brown. They were facing the army, weapons at hand and ready to fight.

"We'll hold them off. Go and rescue Lloyd.", Sephie said. Sheena was about to say "but", but Gnome interrupted her.

"Don't worry. We fought worse and uglier guys before.", the big hamster-like Summon Spirit said in his optimist tone.

The group didn't try to argue with them, so they just wished them good luck and went to the castle. Gnome turned to the sea of elemental shadows at his front, a smile in his face as he scratched his nose, saying:

"Piece of cake."

"For the first time, I have to say: you spoke right Gnome.", Aska said, also sounding confident.

"Then it's time to kick their asses!", Yutis chirped.

"Yeah! Let's smash 'em!", Gnome cried as they went to attack...

- - - - -

The other spirits appeared as the group finally reached the doors of Nebilim's castle. Sheena and the others took a deep breath and looked to each other, before they nod and open the great doors, which creaked.

At first, the heroes could barely see the inside of the castle, due the weak light that came from the torches and candlesticks inside it, but when they entered and saw how the castle was, they stayed in awe for some minutes, analyzing the scenery.

Statues of seven meters of elven warriors carrying swords, pointing to up and thrust in the ground, decorated the walls of the great hall made of dull-gray stone. The three candlesticks made out of gold and adorned with runes in elven provided some light to the environment. The two windows at the sides of the double door were mosaics of what seemed moments of triumph of the elven kind over battles and wars. The door itself contained some runes and symbols, some of which neither Raine nor Yuan saw before.

The entire hall clearly screamed Nebilim's proud for the race he belonged to. At its bottom were two flights of stairs, which ended in two great, wooden doors. There was also another door at the level of the hall's floor, but none of them was as big as the entrance one.

At the center of hall strange, darkness energies started to gather, forming an humanoid figure that erupted in flames. The figure seemed some kind of fire wraith, but the group already knew it was Nebilim. Even the human members of the party could feel the great power emanating from the burning ghost.

With a smile in his red mouth, Nebilim bend the upper part of his black, burning body to the group and said:

"Welcome to my humble castle. Although, some of you already know it. Am I not speaking the truth Vallor?"

The hero of the Forgotten Ages again appeared from Sheena's necklace and faced his opposite. Vallor carried an expression more serious than any the group already saw. It wasn't angry, nor displeased, it was simply serious.

"I would like to say it's good to see you again, but I would be lying if I said so. It seems millenniums of confinement inside the Devil's Arms didn't make you learn anything, do you?", the spirit hero asked.

"Oh, but I learn something from it. Indeed, if it wasn't for the knowledge about life and death that I obtained from my... 'experience', let's put it, I wouldn't be here right now, nor I'll have all the resources I collected.

"But let's not talk about me. Say, where's your... how should I call her? Wife?", the dark spirit asked. Luna then approached until stay at the front of the group, together with Vallor. "Oh, here are you. Say, did you like my wedding present? I'm sorry I couldn't personally appear, due some... unpleasant circumstances."

For the first time, Sheena and the others caught a look of anger from Luna. The Summon Spirit of the light was looking to Nebilim like he and her were deadly enemies since they knew each other, what some of them didn't doubt could be true. If Luna liked Vallor like they though, then the mere mention of what Nebilim did to Vallor and his family could be sufficient motive to draw an angry look from the illuminated entity.

With a tone of anger, Luna said "cynic" to the Dark Lord. Nebilim chuckled at that and said:

"I imagine if you still have that scar after all this time. Why don't we see?", Nebilim spoke, stretching his arm to Luna and clutching his hand.

Luna immediately brought her hand to her chest and opened her mouth, trying to breath, like Nebilim was strangling her from his place. The guardian spirit then fell from her moon to the ground and tried to stand using her hands.

Vallor cried the name of his love and went to her side, grabbing her before she could touch the cold, stone floor. The other approached to the spirit in worry and gasped as they saw something at the spirit's back.

Luna had a shining, purple scar at her back. It glowed as the Summon Spirit seemed to try to breath. When Nebilim smiled again, seeming satisfied with the pain he caused, he lowered his hand and Luna stopped to struggle. The scar turned dull and disappeared.

"You'll pay for this, you wraith!", Merilius said, drawing his Runeblade and standing in a fight stance.

"Hu, I invite you to try. You know you can just hurt me if you reach my soul in the Devil's Arms, but this will be soon corrected.", Nebilim chuckled while Merilius stood confuse at that. "If I'm not wrong, it's in this time that one of you would talk something like: 'You should turn back, Nebilim. You don't need to be like this.'. Am I correct, Colette?"

The blond girl gulped at Nebilim's look to her. The Dark Lord looked to her like they were old friends that knew each other from a long time ago. The Chosen One then recovered and talked back:

"But you don't want to turn back, do you?"

"Of course not! I must say that I'm impressed. You really got smarter since the last we saw each other. Congratulations!", Nebilim said, with a false tone and clapping to Colette. "It seems with my teachings you ceased to be that ingenuous, stupid, little puppy you were. At least, you now see the things like they are."

"So you're really evil.", Colette said, trying to ignore Nebilim's taunts, what was difficult.

That venous, taunting voice haunted the blond angel in her nightmares since her betrayal to Lloyd and the others, when she got possessed. Colette never before thought about hate someone, but Nebilim achieved to rouse that feeling inside her and it wasn't her dark side, but herself. The optimist girl was really starting to hate that dark spirit.

Nebilim liked to make people suffer. He liked to kill and torture anyone that he judged to stay in his way. He wasn't someone that suffered and wanted revenge on the world by it, he was someone who choose to be like that. He chose be like that and he continued to choose that path. Even feeling some of bad by feeling that, Colette couldn't help, but feel she really hated the Dark Lord.

In that illusion the twisted elf made to possess her, she felt an inner sting of a feeling she never felt before. Now she knew it was hatred. What wouldn't Colette give now to inflict to Nebilim as much pain as she could?

"Evil, good... what's the difference? In the final, they're all the same thing, just illusions. What exists is power. What we have here, my sweet, gentle angel, is my ideals and my propose of order against your path that would 'supposedly' make everybody happy.", Nebilim laugh at the last phrase, like the idea was a joke to him. "Anyway, feel yourselves at home."

With a last bow, the flaming specter was engulfed by a pillar of dark fire, which released some black smoke. The fire dissipated and Nebilim's burning shadow wasn't at sight anymore. The only remnant of his presence was that now the atmosphere of the castle was just like outside, but the feeling of death and sorrow was changed for one of dread and hatred.

Luna stood, showing that she was some inches taller than Vallor, and seemed some of better. Yuan then asked to her the doubt of the group:

"What was just that? And how what was that wound on you? I never heard about you have a wound before."

The guardian entity and Vallor looked to each other, before look to the group of heroes at their front. Luna put her hand on Vallor's shoulder, as the illuminated spirit started to speak:

"That wound is the motive Luna rides in that moon projection. When I heard about Nebilim killing the king and setting Meltokio aflame, I didn't believe at first and I went to this same fortress to ask if that was true."

"What? But it's madness...", Sheena started, but Vallor interrupted.

"I know, I know it was. Luna tried to warn to me, but at that time I stilled thinking of Nebilim as my friend and not as someone who was killing people just because of his hunger for power and control. When I arrived, I got shocked at hear it was true. Nebilim explained his 'truth about the things' to me and what he just intended to do with his society. I had already got an idea of what happened with who spoke against him when I felt the spirits around the fortress, but hearing what Nebilim was intending to do to reach his ' true order and peace' got me aback.

"I tried to talk him out of that, but he refused to hear me, saying I was too young to realize how it could benefit the elves and the world. When I spoke it was just selfishness and madness he got angry at me and tried to attack. At that time, Luna, who had hidden in my Topaz ring, shot out of it and protected me from the attack by taking it."

Vallor tried to continue, but discovered he couldn't speak anymore about the subject. From all the terrible things Nebilim made, Vallor classified that as one of the worst. Luna then continued to speak in her love's place:

"The blow was charged with demonic energies. It passed my defenses and touched my soul, corrupting my mana. Thanks to Aska, we escaped from the fortress before Nebilim could attack again. Because of the attack my energies got unstable, making me to be in a state that thee humans describe as cripple."

"But thanks to me, she got better after some mouths of treatment, though I couldn't remove all the demonic energies and a scar was left, like you just saw.", Maxwell said. "It's also because of this episode that Aska got so touchy about Luna and Vallor being together. He had to manage her mana flows while she recovered. The irony is that, the two got closer when she was like that. I must say, Vallor was really dedicated to her. He didn't leave her side until she got totally recovered."

Luna's and Vallor's face got red beet at that statement. Colette, Sheena and Presea giggled while the other spirits smiled and the mortal men in the group chuckled. Zelos made another of his typical, bad jokes:

"Oh, Vallor. I bet that was a really good time, uh?!"

"... Raine. Could you slap your 'friend' for me?", Celsius said, she was near the half-elven teacher. "I would do that by myself, but Origin is some of picky about us giving 'the example of good behavior with the creatures' and such."

"Naturally.", the female researcher said, slapping Zelos at the back of his head.

The red headed Chosen whimpered at got punished by his girlfriend again. Raine's slaps, though not so strong as Sheena's, hit him with such accuracy and at the "right spots" of his head that he could swear the beautiful, older woman trained it in Genis.

The little magician noticed Celsius tone when she said "friend" and that got him really suspicious. Could something be happening between his sister and that pervert, idiot Chosen? Genis laugh at that thought. His sister was just to smart to get herself involved with that loudmouth Casanova.

"I can guess during this time you made that moon to move yourself around, haven't you?", Regal asked, receiving a nod from Luna in answer.

"Now let's concentrate on the matter at hand.", Vallor said, the group turned to him. "We need to divide into two groups. I can guide Sheena to the ritual room."

"I'll lead the other group to Nebilim's library. I can sense the presence of the Eternal Sword in that direction.", Origin pronounced.

After talk, they decided that Sheena, Zelos, Raine, Genis and Merilius would rescue Lloyd, together with Vallor. The other spirits and members of the group would recover the Eternal Sword.

Nodding at the decision, each group walked to the opposing stairs and entered the doors. Sheena's group found themselves at another room, with more three doors at the right. Vallor pointed to the door at the left and the group opened it, entering in a long, dark corridor, due the weak light coming from the torches.

Genis and Raine found something strange about that corridor, but before they could state their suspects, Sheena was already running through it, like she had just saw Lloyd at the final of it. Sighing, the two siblings and Zelos followed the ninja and Vallor.

After ran by what seemed a good time inside that corridor Sheena finally found herself at another spacious room with a window at her left and another door. Vallor had disappeared, probably had back to her necklace, like he often did. However, when she turned to see the others, she found no one at her back.

_What the...? They were just behind me. What happened? I didn't saw any other way there._, the summoner thought, getting worried if her friends had found another path at the dark part of the corridor and lost themselves.

To her relief, Vallor's voice sounded from the necklace as it shone again:

"Sheena, are you there?"

"Yes, I am. What just happened?", the descendant of the hero asked.

"I felt a strong spell over that corridor. I don't remember of see something like it in the first time I cam. It must be a new enchantment. It tried to pull me apart from you, so I had to go back to the proof of the pact."

The new wasn't pleasant to Sheena. If that almost took Vallor away of her, who had a pact with him, then she could just imagine where it had dumped her friends. Asking more about what spell was that, the female ninja received another answer:

"Calm down. It wasn't any life-threatening spell, I can say that much. It was just meant to separate you from the others. I think they must be somewhere in the fortress, maybe they even still inside the castle."

"Ok, that's at least good to know. Then let's get to Lloyd so we can rescue the others.", Sheena said to the necklace.

"Yes. Open that door and we'll be at the ritual room. Stay alert, there's no tell what Nebilim had stored to us inside."

Sheena nodded and opened the door, finding herself in a room as big as the Renegade's gym. The female summoner whistled as she walked in the light that entered from the cathedral-like windows she had just saw in the images of the City of Darkness. At random times, the flash of a thunder gave a better illumination to the room.

The Children of the Light then saw a red figure over a platform with obelisks at the center of the room, which she immediately recognized. Calling the name of her loved warrior, she ran to the platform. Lloyd stood, with his back to Sheena, who stopped suddenly.

_Something is wrong... something is very wrong!_, all of Sheena's instincts screamed. She could feel a strange energy around Lloyd. A sinisterly, familiar energy. Sheena widened her eyes once she recognized to just who that energy belonged. _No. Please don't tell he is..._

When the red clad warrior turned to face her, what Sheena saw wasn't the wine-color, gentle eyes of Lloyd, but red blood, void orbs. The same of a possessed person. It carried the same assassin gleam that Colette had when her darkness took over. A cruel smile crept on Lloyd's lips, what, in Sheena's point of view, twisted the lips she found so handsome. The worst came when a piercing, hypnotic voice, full of venom, came out from Lloyd's mouth:

"Sorry, Lloyd's not here. Want to leave a message?"


	45. My Ideals, My Illusions

Here people! In my view, this is one of the most intense battles I had write until now, but the final battle probably will be even more intense. Hope you enjoy! :D

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**Chapter 45**

**My Ideals, My Illusions**

"Sorry, Lloyd's not here. Want to leave a message?"

Another thunder stroke at the skies, launching a flash to the room. Sheena stayed at her place, mouth agape and shocked at see that. Nebilim possessed Lloyd. Shock then transformed in resolution. She needed to get Lloyd back. Vallor's voice then sounded:

"Sheena. I sense strong energies coming form the crystal on Lloyd's collar.", Sheena then looked and noticed Lloyd's shirt was open in that part and an exphere on a wicked-looking Key Crest was embedded on him. "That is a demonic jewel. I sense the energies converging to that from Nebilim swords."

The female ninja then noticed for the first time that Lloyd was holding the Devil's Arm that contained Nebilim's soul main part, the twin blades that carried the name of the Dark Lord. She could see a strange energy radiating from them, entering Lloyd's body and going to the exphere on his collar.

"In the case you're wondering, this is called Doom's Blood. It's a special exphere Kermish made for me.", Nebilim's voice said from Lloyd's mouth.

"So it was for this you wanted all those expheres.", Sheena spoke. "Then I'll take this exphere out of Lloyd's body so you won't use him."

"Do you really think you can win me in your own boyfriend's body? Hahaha! At least your humor sense is better than Merilius'! C'mon then. Let's see if you can defeat me before the transference got complete."

Nebilim then stood in a fight stance and so did Sheena. The female ninja didn't want to hurt Lloyd, but she needed to remove that exphere from him then maybe he would react and she would have a chance to get him back. But she also needed to keep her guard up. The red clad angel was powerful enough alone, she had seen that in their trainings at the journey for the expheres.

"Be careful Sheena.", Vallor's voice whispered to her, this time in her mind. "As Nebilim said, I feel his soul being transferred to that crystal through Lloyd's body. This fight can even haste the process, due the energy and adrenaline Lloyd's body will use. If Nebilim ends the transference, the jewel will awake to its max potential and Lloyd's soul may be absorbed."

With a mental nod, Sheena went to the attack at the same time Nebilim did. Cards enchanted with light, Sheena clashed against her lover in a fierce duel. To each movement a reaction. Each technique, a response. Nebilim fought against Sheena like he knew each one of her moves, what she suspected was be true, since the dark spirit should now have access to Lloyd's memory and had been spying them.

When Lloyd's body tried to break her defense, using Beast Sword Rain, Sheena countered by enchanting her cards with lightning and trying to send electricity through the cursed blades. She achieved to do so after the fifth thrust. In the microseconds which Lloyd was stunned by the feedback, Sheena attacked with her best sequences of card blows and martial arts, but using half of the force. She wanted to stun him sufficient time for her to remove that mutated exphere. The possessed Eternal Swordsman was pushed backwards when a well-placed Pyre Seal hit its target, but he didn't go to the ground.

_He was always though. But I don't know if it can be considered a good thing right now._, Sheena thought.

"Hu, it seems I underestimated you a little.", Nebilim said through Lloyd, with another evil smile. "I should have remembered you know this boy's techniques. Well, that just means I'll have to transfer some of my knowledge to this body.", as the Dark Lord said that, Nebilim swords glowed with a dark aura. "Ready for the second round?"

"Watch out Sheena. Don't let he touch you with that swords, they're charged with darkness and demonic energies now. One hit and your mana will sip out of your body by the wound.", Vallor's whispering voice sounded in Sheena's mind again.

The grand summoner felt the energy around the swords were the same Kermish often used in his attacks. That meant if she received a wound and even if Raine was around, healing arts wouldn't be of much help. She had to fight now with mastery and all her agility, otherwise she could lose in one attack.

Lloyd started by attacking with Demon Sphere. Sheena got surprised by him using one of Merilius' techniques, but jumped away to avoid the attack. When the ninja noticed, her possessed love was on her in a blink of eyes, his wings at show. The Eternal Swordsman used Twin Tiger Blade, but she blocked and dodged.

Enchanting her cards with light, the grand summoner again tried to land a blow on her boyfriend, but Nebilim also blocked her and tried to counter with a thrust, giving to Sheena an opening, which she took advantage and used Pyre Seal on him. Lloyd was thrown backwards with Sheena running on him. The female ninja tried to reach for Doom's Blood, achieving to touch the demonic jewel, but when she did this, Lloyd's hand quickly grab hers and the Eternal Swordsman spun at great speed, throwing Sheena to the middle of the room.

While Sheena was flying, the possessed Lloyd flew to catch up her and unleashed an attack which threw she away some more meters:

"Blood Spin!", tiny projections of souls appeared around Nebilim swords and red blood energies swirled around the cursed blades. Lloyd then spun with great speed again, becoming a blur of red, unleashing the energies and the souls.

The female ninja was cut by the swords when Lloyd spun and was caught by the energy circle that expanded from the attack. Sheena used her hand to touch the ground and land knelled. The wound pained and she could feel her mana seeping by it.

"Hum, this would be a good moment for me to use a spell. If it wasn't for me to be in an human body... oh, but wait. Abyssion was human, wasn't him? Well, let's see if my power still can break the barriers of race.", Nebilim's voice came from Lloyd's mouth.

The possessed hero then united his two hands, with the index and the middle finger stretched, and started to charge a spell. A dark, magic circle appeared under him as Sheena widened her eyes. The female ninja soon recovered and prepared to defend against whatever powerful spell Nebilim could throw on her.

"Shadow Lance!", the dark spirit pronounced, pointing to Sheena, like he was commanding an army to charge.

Another magic circle, with different runes in green, dark-blue and red, appeared at Lloyd's front. Lances made of darkness flew out of the circle, at Sheena's direction. The female ninja used Guardian Seal at time for the first lance to hit her barrier. The lance was deflected, but a dark beam, similar to the ones Kermish summoned in the Dark Judgment spell, rained upon Sheena's shield when the lance hit.

As the other dark lances made their hits, Sheena's protective shield threatened to break. It was then the necklace of Vallor glowed again, shooting lights that mixed with the green bubble around Sheena. The next chief of Mizuho could feel her defensive technique being enchanted by the lights.

When the last lance made its hit and the last dark beam fell, Nebilim seemed some of surprised by what happened. Cursing, the Dark Lord ordered Lloyd's body to attack again. Using several Demonic Sphere attacks, Lloyd made Sheena jump several times, using even her hand as a leverage to jump quickly again and avoid a secondary wind sphere.

Before the ninja could react, Lloyd teleported in a light flash of darkness and appeared at her front, trying to cleave the female warrior. Sheena blocked the blow with her cards and held the swords, but Lloyd was too much strong for she to hold him like that and the cursed twin blades started to drew close.

With a kick on Lloyd's chest, Sheena pushed him backwards again and attacked the boy again with a quick succession of blows of her cards. The guardian user then placed a card enchanted with wind on the red clad warrior's chest and it released a powerful gust of wind that blew him away of her.

Recovering in midair, Lloyd landed on his feet and looked to Sheena, who was panting from all the effort of that fight and the mana she was losing. But she wouldn't stop of fight. Lloyd needed her, now more than never. He needed her to bring him back.

"It was fun to play with you, but this battle needs to have a winner.", Nebilim said, charging another spell. "Dark Sphere!"

Sheena blocked the spell with Guardian Seal again, but she soon find out it was for distracting, when Lloyd teleported again to her back and pronounced:

"Ascendant Spiral!", Lloyd jumped, spinning the blades and slashing Sheena's back. The female ninja was threw up by some unknown force and still being slashed at each turn the possessed angel's body completed.

When Lloyd stopped to spin he brought the pointed, orange blade with a red mouth on the hilt to back and flew some feet higher. When Sheena was descending, the Eternal Swordsman shot to her, blade pointed forward, creating a great spiral of pressure in the air. It was Rising Falcon.

Sheena noticed that and quickly twisted her body in air, staying with her front to Lloyd and seeing her lover flying to her, blade ready to thrust her heart. In an almost automatic gesture, when Nebilim twin blades was about to hit, the female ninja brought her hands up and held the orange spike of the cursed blade.

The grand summoner was pushed back, going with the blade at the same speed, but some inches away of the pointy spike. Sheena could feel her hands burning by the energies around the blades and the pressure of the air cutting her palms, but she couldn't leave it go or the speed she was flying would decrease and that would open a chance to Nebilim pierce her chest.

Noticing the despair of the ninja, Nebilim smiled an evil smile through Lloyd's lips. He then stopped in the air with a flap of the wings, but used the pressure and the energies in the blade stretched to push Sheena to the ground. The young woman hit the ground with a strong thud and could now feel the pain in her hands. She stood, but Lloyd quickly flew to her front and before she could defend herself, he used Beast Sword Rain.

The thrusts drew blood from Sheena, making several wounds through her body. The ninja was then violently pushed to the wall, hitting it with such force that it left a slight impression and cracks on it. The female ninja could feel some of her bones also cracking, almost breaking. She then slid to the ground and sat there.

The next chief of Mizuho never imagined she someday would feel so much physical pain like she was feeling now. She could feel mana letting her body, like water flowing in a river. Sheena also could feel her gloves getting wet with the blood coming from her hands, as well as the back of her kimono. Even leaning against the wall was bringing pain to her back and she couldn't even describe how it was when she was thrown at that way in the hard stone. Holes in several parts of her clothe gave sight to the wounds made by Lloyd's thrusts, which were contributing to make her a blooding mess.

Another lightning stroke outside, launching one more flash to what seemed the end of the battle. Sheena tried to stand, but all her body protested and she had to sit again. The summoner tried to move her hands, but even it was bringing pain to her. Nebilim had hit her shoulders and arms.

The possessed swordsman then approached, a great, wild grin in his lips as the red blood eyes gleamed like never before. Was it like Nebilim feel and seem before kill his victims? Did he like so much to kill to smile as that was the happiest moment in his whole life? The thought of someone like that being inside the body of the man she loved, scared her with no end.

"Interesting.", Nebilim stated, making Lloyd to put a hand on his chin, like he was analyzing the situation. "I sometimes forced people to kill the ones they once held dear. But they were all my loyal soldiers, so it wasn't as nearly interesting as this. It's the first time I actually kill somebody using the body of his loved one."

The Dark Lord's eyes then rested in the necklace of Vallor. Nebilim smiled even widely as he saw the proof of pact. He knew Vallor was there, just watching what he did to the one that was possibly the last who could protect the name of Ishtar lineage.

"Game over, Vallor. Your descendant lost to the one she loved and by the hands of this one, she shall be killed.", Lloyd then flew some meters above and stretched up the orange blade. Energy started to build up around the cursed weapon and it started to gleam dark.

_I... I failed... the most important person of my life and I fail with him..._, Sheena thought. Her life then started to flash at the front of her eyes as she saw the dark light around the sword gleam brighter. All her training... all her missions... all her deeds... everything to arrive in this moment and fail at the most important mission of her life: save her love.

"I can see what you're feeling.", Nebilim's voice said while Lloyd's arm still holding the blade pointed to the roof. "I can hear your darkness speaking. Interesting thing... a Children of the Light with darkness inside her. Hu, that is a joke!"

The tone of the Dark Lord was the venous, piercing one he used to hypnotize and convince his victims to let him enter in their soul, Sheena could guess that much. It was like Nebilim's words were entering right in her mind, even if she didn't want to hear it. But that didn't matter for the next chief of Mizuho now. She would die by Lloyd's hands. This was the most gruesome way to die that she could ever think in.

Vallor seemed to try to speak something to her, at her mind, but his voice was barely a whisper. If her darkness were blocking Vallor's voice, Sheena didn't mind.

_Merilius said the curse killed all of Ishtar lineage in the most gruesome ways... it seems he was right._, the female ninja thought.

"Tsk, tsk... I would offer to you a chance to live with your love in the new order I'll establish, but I remember you're one of Vallor's descendants. You may not be a Children of the Light, but you have his blood, notwithstanding, so I won't waste my time with the likes of you.", Nebilim said. He was enjoying to step on the fallen fighter. "You know, you had really escaped of my course when you survived in Gaorachia. The protective bless over you made such a strong answer in that moment that it nullified my course, together with itself.

"Strange, no? You escaped a curse, but couldn't escape the legacy of failures and misfortune of your family. Saved just to die in a worse way... ironic, don't you think?", the spiked blade was now launching dark shine over the room. The following flash of a thunder was blocked by the energies radiating from the cursed item. "Now, let me put an end on your misery."

It was that then. The time of her death. Sheena could almost feel the breath of death itself upon her. She closed her eyes. Memories of her failures flashed again at her front, but now that she felt the taste of failure again, they brought more pain than before. That waiting was eating her by inside. Why didn't he just strike her down?

Daring to open an eye, Sheena saw Lloyd was struck at the same way he was before, with the sword raised to up. Opening the two eyes, the female ninja saw an expression of utter surprise and confusion on Lloyd's face. What was just happening?

Trying to stand, Sheena finally did so, though the pain she felt. The grand summoner could hear Nebilim speak something:

"Get back to your place! This body now belongs to me and I'll kill your little girl with it."

A new voice then sounded inside Sheena's mind... no. It was inside her heart. The voice that she wanted so much to her again, instead of Nebilim's venous one. Lloyd.

_I won't let you do it!_, the voice shouted, though to Sheena it sounded like a mumble.

When Sheena saw what came next, she didn't have doubt that it was Lloyd. The wings disappeared in Lloyd's body, making him to fall. When the possessed angel's body hit the ground, Nebilim sword released all the energy it had accumulated in a big, powerful shot, but the target of the shot was totally different of the one intended. The shot hit the wall between two windows, obliterating the wall and the windows, opening a large hole.

Nebilim cursed. He had got so surprised by Lloyd reacting against his control that he didn't notice the boy turning off the mana used to maintain the wings. But he wouldn't let that boy interfere. He wouldn't commit the same mistake twice. Standing, Nebilim ordered for Lloyd's body to throw the sword with the orange, spike-like blade at Sheena, what it did.

When the female ninja saw the cursed blade flying towards her, she forgot about her wounds and got a fan of cards up, enchanting it with earth to give righteous to the shield. The freak-looking sword bounced in Sheena's defense and fell harmless to the ground. The summoner then felt again her wound limiting her and she let her arms fell limp to the sides.

Another foul curse came from Lloyd's lip. The Dark Lord then spoke to the insistent Children of the Light:

"Why you still fighting?! Everything would get better if you simply let yourself be killed. Can't you see it?! If you die, then Lloyd won't have to worry about your curse anymore."

"Are you crazy?! What do you mean with this?! You said that the curse was lifted from me.", Sheena protested, clutching her hands.

"My curse was, but the legacy of misfortune of your family still. Did you ever stop to think why all of your mistakes and failure always resulted in the death of those around you?", Sheena's eyes went wide as memories of Volt's accident came. "It doesn't matter that you're not a Children of the Light, you still bear the legacy of sorrow and death your family brought to everybody around them.

"How much time do you think will take for Lloyd to die because of you? And do you think that after he go somebody will ever accept you? Your people just stand you because of Igagury. When he's gone, do you think any of them will follow you, someone whose mistakes resulted in catastrophes?"

Nebilim's voice sounded inside Sheena's mind, together with many memories of lives lost because of her. The feeling of failure and fear of fail came back, renewed. She felt she shouldn't think on that, she should get rid of this, but she couldn't. Nebilim was making her to feel like her mistakes were costing another life. Lloyd's life.

"No! That's not true!", Sheena shouted from her place, shutting her eyes, like she was trying to concentrate on get rid of those feelings and memories.

"How can you say this? Didn't a quarter of your village get killed when Volt refused to make the pact? Didn't the people on Palmacosta died because of the berserker Kharlan Three that released when you made the pacts? You killed them all. It was by your actions that their deaths occurred and there isn't how you to deny it.

"Now say to me, would you be capable of live knowing Lloyd died because of you? No, you wouldn't. It's what happen with the ones that belongs to Ishtar lineage, they brought sorrow and misfortune to all those they hold dear. Just look to Merilius. Abyssion was his friend and I just needed one talk to convince him to join me and that led him to death. Do you know why he accepted my offer? Because Abyssion saw how Merilius was suffering and he wanted to do something to make something to release Merilius from the curse."

More memories came to the female ninja. The people of Luin tried to help her and good part of them got killed by the Desians. Botta also tried to help her and the others and he died. All those deaths and she had blame on it. She didn't want that to happen to Lloyd. She didn't want to be the cause of his death. She simply wouldn't stand that.

Tears started to come from Sheena's eyes as she slid again to the ground. The memories were more intense now and she could feel all the pain of those who died because of her. She didn't want for people to suffer because of her, nobody should.

"I can see you finally realized the... gah! Get to your place, your little...!", Lloyd's body twitched, like he was in pain. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened again, they were with their normal wine color.

"Sheena, don't listen to this guy.", Lloyd's normal voice sounded from his mouth. Sheena opened her eyes and looked to Lloyd. "Remember he uses painful memories to deceive us. It wasn't your fault all that happened in the Journey of Regeneration and it wasn't your fault what happened in the past with Volt. Don't let he makes you think all that happened is your fault."

The Eternal Swordsman twitched again, putting the palm of his hand on his face and closing the eyes. When he opened again, it was back to the void, red blood orbs of Nebilim. Lloyd's face twisted in an angry expression. The Dark Lord was getting very angry at not being capable of control the red clad warrior's spirit.

"How can you defy me?! Doom's Blood gives to me control over your body...!", again Nebilim's voice stopped and Lloyd's body twitched, his eyes reverting to their normal color.

"I... I don't know what to think. What he says is true in a way. And I don't want people to die because of me.", Sheena spoke, lowering her head and letting more tears fell.

"But nobody will die because of you, Sheena! I also made people to die, but I always tried my best to make up for these deaths. It's not like I also wanted for them to die because of me, so I fought in the name of these people, to make them proud of me and for them to know that I didn't want them to die.", another twitch and Lloyd's expression changed to angry. Nebilim's voice spat "foolish idiot", before another twitch came and Lloyd returned to normal. "And you know me. I promised I would move and live with you in Mizuho. When did you see I break one of my promises?"

Sheena's memories and feelings finally gave her a break for her to think clearly. "Fought in their name, so they would know I didn't want them to die"... yes, many of people died believing Lloyd, she and their friends would restore the world. She fought in their name, trying the best to make up for those who died on her. Lloyd was right, she must continue to fight for those people, so they would know she didn't want them to die and would do her best for them.

The female ninja then thought about Lloyd's question. No, he never broke his promises. Well, at least the ones he considered important like that. Lloyd spoke again, in his usual lively tone:

"I won't die so easily. You know me, I'm hard to beat. So, please, don't think that anything of bad that might happen will be your fault. It's not because you belong to Merilius' family that you bring bad things to people around you. These things just happen, so please, promise to me you won't think of everything being your fault. Do you promise?"

Lloyd looked to Sheena with a look that transmitted confidence to the female warrior. He was right, like always. The grand summoner smiled at the look of her love. She didn't need to think on bad things happening because of her.

"You also made good things to happen, or what do you think I felt when I found we loved each other?", the Eternal Swordsman said with a bright smile, making Sheena to giggle.

Lloyd's expression suddenly changed to one of pain. The boy then grab his belly and lowered his head, shaking. When he stopped, the red clad warrior looked to Sheena again and his eyes had the red blood color back. The Children of the Light stood again, trying to think on something to do.

"That was a rather corny speech, but it won't change anything!", Nebilim spoke, approaching to Sheena and raising the tentacle blade of the twin swords to strike the female ninja.

Another surprise came when Lloyd's exphere started to shine brightly, in the hand he had the cursed weapon. Lloyd's hand then fell to the side of his body, like it had a great weight bound to it. Nebilim tried to lift, but he couldn't. It was like the exphere weighted a ton.

Sheena widened her eyes in surprise. Was Lloyd doing that? She found it wasn't him when a female voice sounded in the room, coming from the exphere:

"You won't hurt her.", the voice's tone was a firm one. "I won't let you use Lloyd's body to hurt anyone, anymore!"

"Augh! Who... Who's you?!", Nebilim asked in a tone which suggested he was feeling pain. "Are you... Anna?"

The question struck Sheena. Anna, Lloyd's mother... Could really be she who was holding Nebilim through the exphere? But the female ninja didn't have time to think on that question, due Vallor talked with her at that moment:

"Sheena, go now! It's your chance! Take that demonic jewel out of Lloyd's body!"

With a nod, Sheena tried to run to Lloyd at a slower peace. When the female ninja reached to Doom's Blood, Lloyd's grab her again. She looked to the possessed swordsman and saw again a look of pure hatred in Nebilim's eyes. But the grand summoner had decided she would end that and reached to the mutated exphere with other hand.

However, when Sheena touched the demonic jewel, a bright flash came from it and in the next moment she felt like the world was dissolving around her in a blur and she was diving to forward...

When her vision finally adjusted, the first thing she saw was a village on fire in a starless night. The fire gave to the skies an orange and red aura and Sheena didn't have idea of how she had ended up there.

The next chief of Mizuho then recognized the village: it was Heimdall. It seemed she had arrived right in the time the village was attacked, but that couldn't be at night. When they had arrived in the hidden, elven village the first time to see the attack it still being afternoon and the sings of fight were too much recent.

Vallor's voice then sounded in the village, his tone was a rather rushy:

"Sheena, are you there?"

"Yes, I am?", the ninja answered and noticed that her wounds had disappeared. "Ok, that's really strange. What's happening here Vallor?"

"Listen to me carefully and don't interrupt me, the link will break in seconds. You're inside Lloyd's heart. In an attempt to defend himself, Nebilim sucked your soul into Doom's Blood, creating a link between yours and Lloyd's heart. You have to find Lloyd and make him to realize what really meant to fight for what you believe, do you understand?"

Sheena nodded, even without know if Vallor could see her. At least, that explained why she was there. Nebilim probably created that illusion to maintain Lloyd's heart under control so he could end the transference of his soul to that exphere he created. She had to find Lloyd and help him.

Vallor's voice then sounded again, but this time it was like he was speaking through a communicator with interference:

"Beware... if Nebilim convinces you he's right... then this illusion... will also be yours... make Lloyd to remember... the meaning of continue... to fight...", the hero of the Forgotten Ages' words silenced after that.

Sheena then heard people shouting at the square of the village. Going to there, she found a group of people forming a circle. It seemed there was someone inside the circle. Approaching, Sheena felt like something inside her jump when she heard Lloyd's voice coming from inside the circle:

"I never wanted you all to suffer. We just...", the Eternal Swordsman tone was an apologetic one.

"How many times will you use that excuse?", a familiar voice interrupted Lloyd. Sheena again struck at surprise by recognizing the voice. It was Neil, the former Governor-General of Palmacosta. "You made us suffer. We believed in your promise of a true regeneration, we believed in your words about peace and how did you return it? You let us to die."

"How many of us will you still to deceive with these 'ideals'?", another familiar voice sounded. It seemed one of the Renegade soldiers that were with Botta when he died. "How much time will we have to wait for you make that world where everyone can live equally you promised? How many of us will you still to tell the same thing just for us to die waiting for that to happen?"

Sheena could hear Lloyd trying to say something, but the entire crowd shouted at the same time and she couldn't hear him. Deciding that was enough, Sheena jumped inside the middle of the circle and landed near Lloyd, who was stand and got surprised at seeing her there.

The female ninja then looked around. There were many people they saw dying and some elves. Probably Nebilim projected them from Lloyd's memory and was now using it to keep the angel's heart occupied.

Another person came into view from the crowd, this one made Sheena to almost jump when she recognized him. It was Mithos, in his older form of Cruxis' leader. The memory of the past spoke in his cold voice:

"Now, now, just look who came. Another one who helped him to deceive us into believing his promises and words of a new, peaceful world. It was better you had left me to fix the world in my way."

"Your way was by killing countless people. None path can be good when this makes people to die.", Sheena talked back to the ghost of the fallen hero.

"And what does the path this boy chose did if not kill us?", an elf talked at Sheena's left.

So that was what Vallor meant to make Lloyd to remember why he really continued to fight and what was meaning to fight for something you believed. Nebilim was again using a doubt to lure Lloyd into believing what his illusion was saying, but Sheena never imagined that the young man someday doubted of the way he chose to follow. He always talked about his dreams and the way he wanted to do the things with such confidence...

"I'm sorry...", the female ninja heard Lloyd say. She turned to him and saw her love was with his head lowered. "I'm really sorry. I never wanted all of this to happen with you... I just wanted to make a better world... if I could change what happened."

"But you can't, or rather, you don't want to.", Yggdrasil's voice again sounded. "You always had the power to change what happened, but you never used it. You have the Eternal Sword, but you prefer to let those who died because of you root instead of go back and say to them your ideals would be their demise."

"Shut up!", Sheena talked back. "Lloyd would use that power he could, but we don't know how it would affect the time line. It could end up by doing the things get worse."

"Just another excuse. You're just trying to defend him.", another man, a villager of Iselia, spoke. "You're no better than him. You also made people suffer spreading the word about Lloyd's ideas and let them to die. You and he are the same thing: murders!"

Lloyd then jolted his head up and murmured the last word that man said. It was true he didn't use the Eternal Sword to prevent their deaths, but that doesn't mean he actually wanted for them to die. Before he could speak that, the entire crowd started to shout at him, calling him of murder, blaming the Eternal Swordsman for their deaths.

The voices seemed to echo in Lloyd's head. It was like sorrow and despair was trying to overwhelm him. The dual swordsman covered his hears with his hands, trying to stop the voices from hurt his head. Sheena saw Lloyd's pain and tried to make the crowd to shut up, but she just achieved to make them to shout at her.

Sheena was also at the same situation. The voices of the people that left the living world, believing in Lloyd's ideals and visions, were starting to sound inside her mind. She knew that meant Nebilim's illusion was almost getting to her. She couldn't allow that to happen.

"Listen to me!!!", Sheena shouted, trying to make her voice sound above the accusing crowd. "We admit that we don't use the power of the Eternal Sword to bring you back, but there wasn't how we know you would die. Somethings are out of our control and we don't have how to revert it even if we wanted to!

"But when we told to you about our ideals, you believed in us by your own. We didn't force you to anything. Of course, there were deaths while we fought to make our ideal of a peaceful world come into reality, but we also fought for the ones that sacrificed themselves for us and died because of our actions. It's easy for us to give up of our ideals, but if we did so, all those people who also believed in it would have died for nothing.

"We know that one day, all our efforts will be worthy, cause peace will come, even if for a time. And once people saw how it was good to live in a world were everyone have the same right to live and the same chances, they will want it and even if peace is interrupted, it'll come back."

At the end of Sheena's speech, Lloyd looked to her, with a look of complete surprise for to hear she saying that. He never had heard she saying something like that. It just proved how she believed that his dream of a peaceful world could become a reality. When the female ninja noticed her boyfriend looking to her in that way, she turned to him with a beautiful smile in her lips.

"I learned that from you.", the grand summoner said to the Eternal Swordsman. "You taught me and all the others what is to continue to fight for the sake of everybody that died believing in our ideals. When we were fighting to reunite the worlds, many people believed we could do it, they died believing we would have success and we had. We made that in our way and with your help, we fulfilled our promise to those people."

Lloyd seemed that would cry. He always thought of him like being the one in the group that needed to believe in what he was making and that should give satisfaction for the others about the consequences of their acts. That he was one that should always carry the burdens that came with his ideals. That he should be the strong one, the symbol of what they believed in and fought for. Now he saw he didn't need to carry those burdens alone.

_I had forgot that I have friends that would willingly do this for me. That I don't need to be always the strong one and take all the responsibility for what happens when something we make goes wrong. This isn't my solely duty, Sheena and the others can help me._, the Eternal Swordsman thought.

Lloyd believed that if he stopped to be the one that represented what they believedin and didn't take the responsibility, then nobody more would. He had forgot his friends believed in his ideals not because of him, but because it was also their dream, a dream they would willingly defend in Lloyd's place.

"Hu. What a pointless babble.", a new, familiar voice sounded from the crowd. People gave passage to a new figure that, when entered in their sight, made Lloyd and Sheena gasp.

It was an red blood haired elf with eyes matching, the same eyes Lloyd and Sheena saw in their possessed friends. The elf wore a silver armor under dark and green clothes. His face seemed some kind of mask of solemnity and he looked to the duo of lovers like he had some authority on them. That should be Nebilim when he was alive.

"People like you always take the path they believe to be the one that will benefit the most of people and won't bring any sacrifice. You take this road and in your blindness you can't see this road is just a circle. When that happens, your ideals pass to be just illusions.", the Dark Lord said, in his venous and piercing voice, but Sheena and Lloyd could caught a tint of cruelty on it. "To truly make an ideal into reality, you need to see beyond mere philosophies, such as right and wrong, and see what is the true nature of the disturbances and fights you need to win to make your idea of a better world true.

"This nature, my deluded friends, is the opposing powers, which duel against one another to overcome its opposite, but never destroys it. For you to make your ideal doesn't turn into a mere illusion you need to eliminate these powers, establishing an absolute one. By doing so, you will end the circle. If not, then your ideal will continue be an illusion and you will drag people to this circle, by making them to also believe in your illusion.

"What I proposed was for you is to exit from this circle, for you see the truth behind the things and see what really must be done for your world to become reality. But you refused. You still insisting in seek an illusion and stubbornly contribute for the circle to continue."

Lloyd gridded his teeth. Nebilim spoke in a tone like he was the only one that knew what people should do to reach their dreams. He spoke like he was the lord of the truth, or something. Lloyd could accept people that choose a different path from his, even if this path leaded them to become something he had to combat latter, but one thing that the Eternal Swordsman couldn't stand was people talking like they knew all and like their path was the only right one.

Sheena was feeling almost the same anger Lloyd was. She understood people that thought different from her and Lloyd, but she couldn't stand people that tried to force others to do their bidding or to follow their path and spoke about others' paths, like they were a stupidity . She chose to follow Lloyd's path, she believed in it and she wouldn't allow that twisted, dark spirit talk about that path like that.

"And who are you to speak about our path?! You're just a spoiled elf that throws a fit when things doesn't happen how you want.", Lloyd said. Nebilim's right eye twitched when he heard Lloyd calling him of a spoiled elf. "You talk about our ideals and dreams like they are a bad thing, but you never even stopped to think on the people you killed. This talk of take all the power and eliminates people that thinks different of you just proves what you want is a selfish thing, so shut up!"

Nebilim shot a look of pure hatred to Lloyd. It was just like he predicted, Nebilim was really the kind of person that didn't stand people that thought different of him and defied him. He was just a possessive, authoritarian elf that didn't take any opinion different from his own.

Before Nebilim could shout at Lloyd or give any kind of reply, Sheena entered in the talk, using the same tone that her lover:

"You don't even know the meaning of ideal. Ideal is a thing that would be good for everybody. Something that would benefit the world and the people that lives on it. But you, you never cared about the world or the people, not even your own race. You just care for yourself and your selfish desires."

Suddenly, the image of the burning village flickered, like it was a screen with interference. Sheena could then hear Vallor's voice again:

_The illusion is breaking..._, it was the only phrase the female warrior could caught form her ancestor. Lloyd looked around, like waiting to see someone in special came. It seemed he had heard that too.

"We won't stop to fight for everybody that died because of us and for us. If we stop to fight, then it would be like they had truly died for nothing. But you obviously can't understand this.", Sheena spoke again to Nebilim, walking closer to Lloyd.

"Yeah. We'll make our ideal come into reality to honor the memory of everybody that died for us to continue on our path. We won't disappoint those people and if we can't do this for them, then we'll make it for their families, their friends and for the people they cared for. And you...", Lloyd then walked to Sheena and the two held their hands. A blade made out of light appeared on the lovers united hands and they grasped it tight. "Won't stop us!"

Lloyd and Sheena then looked to each other and lifted the sword. When they lowered it, cutting the air in their front, the sword launched a great blade of light, which cut through the illusion, dissolving the image of the burning village and all the echoes of the past.

Light then engulfed the two and Sheena felt again the strange sensation of dove to somewhere. When the Children of the Light opened her eyes, she was with her head at Lloyd's chest, who was with his eyes closed, like he was sleeping.

Something then fell near them. The guardian user saw it was the tentacle blade of Nebilim swords. Then she saw a blur pass above her and fall in the floor. It was the demonic jewel, Doom's Blood. It had detached itself from Lloyd. Sheena smiled, knowing now her boyfriend was free of Nebilim.

The female ninja then slided in Lloyd's body to the ground, feeling the tiredness of her wounded body. She felt strong hands hug her before she could hit the hard stone floor. Lloyd had opened his eyes and was looking to her. How she missed those red eyes that gleamed with gentleness and caring for the ones he held dear.

Lloyd then adjusted Sheena, for the two of them sat, she leaning against his chest. The dual swordsman then saw all the wounds through her body and her blooding and batted state. Mumbling something she couldn't hear, the red clad angel hugged her tightly, like he was with fear that she could die if he let her go.

Without the two of them notice, the Doom's Blood started to roll in the stone floor. It was going to the door at the other side of the hall. Nebilim swords then lifted some feet from the ground and shot to the crystal, floating around it in silence. When the three cursed items reached the platform on the center of the hall, they floated some meters above the ground and were involved by a black, fog-like gas. When the gaseous spheres formed around the items disappeared none signal of it could be seen.

"Sheena... I'm sorry... I didn't know what was happening.", Lloyd apologized to her. "I tried to fight back, but it was stronger than me. When I saw he trying to kill you, I found strength to fight back, but then I lost the control again."

"It's alright.", Sheena said from her position. Her tone was sweet and tired, all at the same time. "I also almost fall to him. That guy really have a damn mouth. But, did you just heard when your mother held him back?"

Lloyd looked to her, confused. Had his mother participated of the battle? He didn't notice her presence around. Sheena's necklace then glowed and lights shot out of it, uniting into Vallor's form. The ancient hero spoke, saying he could explain that:

"I saw you didn't have enough strength to stand against Nebilim's and that demonic exphere's power, so I searched for something that could help you and I found a spirit inside the soul crystal you wear.", the first half-elf said, meaning Lloyd. "I achieved to make contact and learned she was your mother. She said she knew what was happening to you and wanted to do something. I lent some of my power for her to pass the barriers of the crystal and use the link between your mana and the crystal to hold your body."

"So mom... helped you to save me...", Lloyd instinctively looked to his exphere, like he was waiting for lights to shot out from it and materialize into his mother's form, like Vallor often did with the necklace.

"I'm sorry, but that was the only moment I could use my power to make her to manifest her presence. I don't have permission to do it all the time if it's not an emergency. But don't worry about her, she just returned to the crystal.", Lloyd seemed upset by knowing he couldn't talk with his mother. Vallor then tried to cheer up the boy. "If that makes you feel better, I could feel how much she loved you and how she was happy for you to try and defend the one you love. She seemed to like Sheena."

His mother liked Sheena... it took sometime for Lloyd to take his attention back to the hero of the Forgotten Ages and catch what he was saying. At least that was a good new for him. His mother approved his relationship with Sheena and was proud of him for defend her from Nebilim.

"Thanks Vallor. You don't know what it means for me.", the red clad warrior said. Vallor just smiled, with an expression of "glad to help".

The spirit hero then turned his attention to Sheena and talked for Lloyd to concentrate on what he felt for her. The boy didn't argue and did as he was told. Vallor then placed the palm of his right hand on the Eternal Swordsman's heart and the other he placed on Sheena's head. The hands of the spirit glowed and an aura shone around Sheena. When the aura disappeared, the ninja's wound were healed and her energy restored.

Lloyd stayed in awe. How did Vallor just did that if he was an spirit and couldn't use healing arts in that state? Asking his doubt to the ancient hero, the Eternal Swordsman received an answer:

"I used the power of your feeling to heal her. Feelings are powerful things, I'm certain you know that. I can use the power of these feelings to heal and replenish energy. The more powerful the feeling for the person is, the more effective is the healing spell."

Lloyd blushed a little by knowing Vallor used the power of his love for Sheena to heal her. The female ninja then sat by her own and, before any of the two males could predict, she slapped Lloyd at the back of his head.

"Hey! What was that for?", the angel warrior asked, massaging his hurt head.

"This was by making me sick of worry and scare me to death by being possessed.", the half-angry woman said. Vallor then looked to the other side, like he had found something interesting in the blasted walls.

"I thought this was the kind of moment that the hero received a kiss from the damsel he rescued."

"Excuse me, who rescued who?", Sheena asked in a sharp tone.

Lloyd then realized what stupidity he had just said. He was the damsel in that case, he was the one that was saved. Beating the palm of his hand in his forehead, the Eternal Swordsman then said:

"Uh... could you just forget I said that?"

"Why? Wasn't it what you wanted?", Sheena then inclined to him and touched Lloyd's lips. After a brief moment of feel the lips of the one she so much loved, she remembered of something. "Oh no! The others! I forgot about them!", Sheena quickly stood, leaving Lloyd more confused. The ninja then explain. "Raine, Zelos, Merilius and Genis were companying me when I came to rescue you, but an enchanted corridor separated us and now they're somewhere in the city."

Resolution replaced Lloyd's confusion and the red clad warrior also stood. Their friends could be in danger if they were scattered and separated inside that infernal city. They needed to rescue them quickly before they got themselves in danger.

"Then let's go and rescue them. I have had enough of this city and Nebilim's mind games!"

* * *

Man, the chapters in this part of the fic are turning to be the longest ones I had write, but I can't be helped to stop to write. The mood of these chapters are just too intense for me to stop.

Well, like you noticed now we'll have a piece of what Nebilim thinks about the ideals and the path of other people. Any question, ask me in a review for I know how it can be hard to understand that Dark Lord's thoughts. Anyway, R&R people!


	46. Thousand Books and One Rogue

Think the things might get calmer now Lloyd had been freed? Think again!

Many henchmen and members of the villian's club will meet their end in this part, as some of you may have guessed. So le'ts take a peep on hat will happen!

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* * *

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**Chapter 46**

**Thousand Books and One Rogue**

Colette's group passed by several rooms and corridors. In some they encountered strange Gargoyles, taller and stronger than the types they knew. Probably Nebilim's experiments. Origin guided them through the rooms, feeling the presence of his creation getting stronger.

Opening another wooden door, they entered in a room that seemed to be the library. The room had two levels, being the second composed by thin ways attached to the walls and sustained by pillars, and its walls were covered with bookcases full of tomes, books of all sizes and widths, all written in ancient elven. Some other bookcases formed corridors around the room and the illumination was weak, making some parts of the local almost impossible for normal eyes to see. Pedestals in some corners and near the end of bookcases contained vases, jewels and several other types of relics inside glasses.

"Raine would like this place.", Yuan commented, walking and eying all the bookcases and relics around him.

"Maybe we should get a book to her then.", Colette suggested, going to a nearby bookcase. When the blond angel reached her hand to take a large-looking book, it was violently repelled by a blue barrier. "Ouch! What was that?"

"All this library's books and relics are protected by a barrier, so it isn't anybody who can take them.", Maxwell answered, taking Colette's hand and looking to see if the girl had suffered any wound.

Origin called them to follow him and the group went deeper into the big library. They saw at the middle of a round, open space a small pedestal with a glass containing the two Material Blades. Colette tried to go to take the two swords, but Regal put his hand on her way. The older man said:

"It's just too easy. I doubt someone as cunning as Nebilim would let the swords in a place like this with just a barrier to defend."

The other members of the party and spirits nodded. Shadow went to the swords and gazed upon the glass containing the powerful weapons. Presea and Colette got confused at that and looked to Origin.

The King of the Summon Spirits explained Shadow was the spirit that had the best magical vision of the spirits, being capable of identify hidden spells with a higher precision that any other spirit. Like Nebilim's magic also used some of his element, Shadow was the most indicated to identify any trick the Dark Lord could use on them.

After wait for some minutes, the group saw Shadow turning and speaking in his slow, deep voice:

"None trap... just... barrier..."

Shrugging, Celsius then approached to take the swords, but before she could destroy the barrier a bell ranged nearby. Everybody immediately drew their weapons, waiting for any attack. They turned to a nearby corridor of bookcases and saw a lantern, with a bell hanging on it, floating to their direction.

The lantern stopped at the final of the corridor and stayed floating above their heads. A raspy voice sounded in the room:

"Who are you, invaders?"

"It's better we watch with what we'll answer. I don't think this being will be happy if he got to know we...", Regal whispered to the party, but Celsius, who obviously wasn't hearing, interrupted him.

"We are the guardian spirits of this world and we are here to kick the butt of your boss and any sorry henchman of his!"

The entire group turned deadly silent, looking to Celsius with wide eyes. Origin then murmured to Maxwell:

"Didn't you say she was getting better on learning how to control her temper with your teachings?"

"No, I said she wasn't learning anything from my teachings and let her temper got the better on her.", the age-looking Summon Spirit corrected.

"So, you're the ones that Lord Nebilim told me about. I won't let you defile this place where only the ones worthy of learn the great knowledges are allowed in, even if you are the ones that manage the equilibrium of the world.", the invisible being's voice sounded.

Presea then approached to Yuan and asked to him if he could see anything holding the lantern. The former Seraphim couldn't see anything even when he looked attentively, he couldn't even see mana sustaining it. Maybe it was demonic magic, or maybe the lantern itself was the guardian of that library.

Books then started to fly out of the bookcases and float around at great speed, like angry bees. Some books shot the group of heroes and spirits and started to hit their defenses. The books itself didn't seem to make any damage, but they were hard and big enough to make them feel some pain with the impacts.

The heroes started to rip, burn, beat and slash the several books that flew to them, but it doesn't matter how many records and volumes they destroyed, more continued to flew out of the bookcases and shot at them.

"This won't get us to anywhere!", Yuan said, slashing two books at the same time, pages flying everywhere.

The blue haired half-elf then ran to the floating lantern and started to slash at it. The object avoided the angel's attack and attracted him deeper into the dark corridor, without the others notice.

Colette threw her chackrans at any book that seemed that would attack her, but without her to notice, another book hit her in the legs, making the blond angel to lose the equilibrium. She tried to use her arms to restore the balance, but another book hit her in the head and the girl fell backwards to the ground. Books then started to rain at Colette, hitting any part of her body that wasn't protected.

Regal was having similar problems. Several books closed their pages around his legs, making them to strangely get heavy. He tried to use his hands to catch and rip the books, but the flying objects were just too much fast for him to catch all. More books closed around the company president, rending him defenseless, and others rained upon him, burying the blue haired fighter.

Efreet was burning the books with his strong arms, but some achieved to hit the red giant. He was already getting annoyed at that. Shadow didn't seem any bothered by the books flying around him, they just hit him and got bound by the strange matter that composed the body of the darkness guardian. The books attached to Shadow's body were soon absorbed and disappeared.

The dark entity was looking around, probably searching for something. When he looked to a corner near the roof and some bookcases he said a "there", loud enough for the others to hear and stretched his arm. The limb shot the local and hit the corner, making something to fall to the ground.

The books around fell and stayed at the ground, immobile. Shadow's arm shrunk back to its normal length. The group then looked to what fell and saw a man-sized spider, with three claws at the end of its paws, fanged-like mouth with pincers and red-dark hair.

"So this is Nebilim's librarian, a spider demon. Hu, I should have guessed.", Maxwell said.

The spider then stood in four paws and massaged his head with one of the other four. The demon then saw the group of heroes and spirits were looking to him and jumped in surprise, seeming scared.

Great drops fell by the group's heads. Was really that the thing attacking them? The spider then seemed to recover its pose and talked:

"So, you've discovered. Well, that means nothing. This is my field and you won't win me here.", the librarian said, pincers clicking at each word.

The spider then pointed to a nearby bookcase with one of its arms and a book flew to him. He opened the book and read some words, making gestures with his clawed paws. A portal appeared at the roof and two Arch Demons fell through it, drawing their long, spiked lances.

The group got surprised at that, but soon started to battle against the demons. The spider demon jumped to the bookcase near him and started to climb to the second level of the library, without knock any book over. He caught another book and started to read it. At the point the two Arch Demons had been contained another portal opened in the roof and two hound-like, purple demons fell.

"Mana Devourers. I hate these things.", Celsius said.

Colette and Presea were about to ask why, when the two demons opened their mouths and started to suck the air around. Colette felt that all the mana in the air was being sucked by the two demons and other type of energy was being liberated from the creatures' fur. Luckily, it seemed her mana wasn't being sucked by the creatures.

The blond angel looked to the Summon Spirits and saw their mana being quickly devoured by the duo of demon hounds. Origin then came to the front of the group and said in a firm, strong and solemn voice:

"Do you want to devour us? Then taste more mana then you can hold!", the great king liberated more of his mana to the two demons.

The creatures then widened their eyes and their mouths started to shine as they devoured the abhorrent amount of Origin's mana. With a flash, the two demons exploded, being unable to stand such powerful mana.

The spider demon above stayed quite at seeing the two creatures being defeated like that. Presea came forth and inquired to the librarian:

"Your choice of summoning was random, wasn't it?"

"Hem... well...", the spider demon then climbed more bookcases and started to take the books, looking for the right one. "No. No. Ah, yes!"

Another portal and two Medusa came. The spirits arched their eyebrows and Volt went to the front. The two snake-women tried to hit the electrical entity with Charming Kiss, but the heart-shaped projectiles simply bounced in the electrical shield of the spirit guardian. Volt seemed to sigh and, recovering his stoic look, made several, powerful lightnings fell under the demons, who screamed in pain.

The two monsters fell, smoke rising from their fried corpses. The librarian seemed very scared again while he quickly climbed the bookcases, opening books and discarding as he saw nothing that could help him. Mumbling at each futile search through the pages of a book the spider demon seemed to get desperate.

"Damn! These books contain summonings that only Lord Nebilim can perform. Fine then!", the spider said, throwing away the last book he caught and turned to his opponents. "I'll handle this in my way!"

The guardian of the library then meld with the bookcase behind him and again several books flew out of their place and started to float around the group.

"Oh no. Not again.", Colette said.

A book then flew and hit Efreet's face with its pages opened. The fire entity then placed his hand in the book and the object burned instantly, revealing a very annoyed expression in the red giant's face. As the group was again defending from the flying books, Efreet shout, in a commanding voice:

"Everybody who's not of second existence, bend down!"

Colette and Presea immediately obeyed the Summon Spirit of fire. Efreet then summoned a burning aura that seemed to suck the air around, getting more intense. The burning entity then released the aura in a great fire wave. Origin, Undine and the other spirits didn't get so affected by the attack, but Celsius, who was finishing with another attacking book, looked at the wave and widened her eyes. The icy entity then touched the ground and was immediately involved by a thick iceberg. When the wave of fire touched the cold protection of the Disciple of Everlasting Ice protection, it melted a little.

All the books that were out of the cases were burned and the barrier around the bookcases was activated. In a nearby corner, in the library's second level, something invisible caught fire. The demon librarian then appeared, shaking his arms frenetic while tried to put out the fire on him.

"AAHHH!!! HOT, HOT ,HOT!!!!!", the librarian screamed. He fell from his climb place and landed with his face on the ground.

When all the ashes fell, Efreet looked around to see if any flying book had survived his attack. Smiling, satisfied at his work, the fire entity got slapped at the back of his head by Celsius, act that produced some steam due the thermal shock between the opposite spirits.

Looking with incredulity to his opposite, Efreet got an ugly looked from a very pissed off Celsius. The icy entity then shouted at him:

"Watch out with what you do, hot-head! You almost fried me with that."

"I warned for you to bend down. It's not my fault you were too much occupied to listen to me, icy-tongue.", Efreet replied, making Celsius to seem really angry.

"Ok you two. Stop it.", Maxwell said, interrupting the raising tension. "This isn't the place for you two start with your bickering."

Celsius and Efreet gave the back one to the other, making a noise of "humph". Maxwell, Undine, Volt and Luna sighed.

The spider demon started to get to his feet, but before he could open his eyes, he was grabbed by his head and was pressed against a nearby bookcase by Origin's strong arms. The demon tried to release himself, but Origin pressed him hard against the wall.

"What you're going to do? Kill me?", the guardian of the library asked.

"No. Such pitiful creature like you, who is loyal to one, but those you saw like the strongest that can give you protection, doesn't deserve this.", Origin then looked to Maxwell.

The spirit of the molecules nodded and approached, opening his book and reading an enchantment in an unknown language. A portal full of strange runes opened in a nearby bookcase. Maxwell explained:

"We will banish you back to Niflheim. Give to your lords our regards.", the guardian of birth said with a smile.

"And when you do that, explain to them why you came to here and why you spent so much time to return.", Origin completed. When the demon gulped and before he could complain, Origin threw the spider at the portal, which closed after receive its load.

"Where's Regal and Yuan?", Presea asked, noticing the two adult were missing.

The spirits and the two mortal girls looked around. Luna said she had lost Yuan of sight when the books started to attack. Undine said she had seen Regal being buried under a pile of books and pointed to a nearby pile of ashes. Colette then got a worried look and knelled near the place.

"Oh no!", the blond girl exclaimed.

Celsius and the other spirits looked to Efreet, who looked back to all of them. Realizing what the looks of his brethren meant, the ruler of Hellfire said:

"I just said for them to bend down to don't get their clothes burned. The fires I used weren't sufficient to burn to ashes someone of their level of power."

Shadow then looked to the spot where regal had been and looked around the room, like trying to see anything out of place. After complete his analysis, the dark entity said:

"Teleport magic... traces..."

"I see. I suspected Nebilim wouldn't let someone as weak as that demon guarding the Eternal Sword. Even unable to use it, Nebilim was never that carefree with his relics. This just made part of a bigger trap to separate you from your friends.", Undine said, meaning Presea and Colette.

"But why didn't Nebilim tried to separate us from the others?", Colette questioned.

Volt answered the girl, having Undine to translate his speech. The two girls had already fought and won against their darkness, so Nebilim wouldn't waste his time with them. Some of the Dark Lord's magics were now based on the darkness of heart and it would be of little effect on people that already had seen what their darkness could do to those nearby him and didn't want for that to happen again.

"Summarizing: thine light is stronger than it was before Nebilim possess thee.", Luna said.

Origin then went to the pillar of the material blades and took out the glass. The barrier had broken with Efreet's attack. The supreme spirit then caught the swords with his lower arms and made them to disappear. Turning to the group, the guardian of creation said:

"I'll guard the swords for when we encounter Lloyd. About your friends, I can feel some presences in this fortress, but I can't say if it's surely them. The demonic energies interfere with my powers."

"Then it's better we go. They might be in danger if let to wander alone around this city.", Presea said, Colette and the other spirits nodded.

Undine, Efreet, Celsius, Volt and Shadow disappeared of sight, but their presence still with the two girls. Luna went to the front of the group, together with Origin, producing light for them to see the path.

The King of the Summon Spirits made signal for the other members of the party to follow him, saying he could feel Lloyd's presence with Sheena, meaning she may had already rescued her boyfriend.

- - - - -

Lloyd flew to scape another blow from the lance of an Arch Demon and tried to counter by punching and kicking the face of the big monster, but even with his strength enchanted by his exphere, he didn't do any significant damage.

"Oh, oh.", the boy exclaimed once the demon looked to him with an annoyed book.

However, before the beast could attack the young man, someone fell with his feet on the skull the demon used as a helm, breaking it. The kick also pushed the skull deeper into the demon's head, making him to roar in protest. The demon tried to take his attacker with his hands, without success.

Sheena quickly drew another seal card and enchanted it with fire, making flames to dance around the card. The grand summoner then put the card on the hole made in the Arch Demon's helm and jumped away, saying to Lloyd to get away.

The point where Sheena had put the enchanted card exploded, making burning flesh to flew. The demon then gave his last grumble and fell backwards, dead. Lloyd approached to Sheena, he was panting due all the dodges he had to make since they exited the ritual room. The red clad warrior had remembered they had forgot Doom's Blood, but Vallor said he had felt the jewel's presence disappear from the room, meaning Nebilim had probably teleported it to another location.

Sheena didn't mind that they had lost the foul exphere. The only thing she regretted was for had lost the chance to destroy that thing, which was the cause of all that confusion.

"Man, this is already the fifth Arch Demon we fought and I'm already tired. I can't wait to get my swords back with Colette and the others when we meet with them.", Lloyd complained.

"Well, if you hadn't slept when I explained to you about the martial arts of my village, you could have a way to defend yourself now and I wouldn't need to save your back all the time.", Sheena talked back.

The female ninja had once tried to taught Lloyd some corporeal fight, but the boy couldn't even pass the part of sat and stay quite to find the inner peace necessary to bring out all his potential, without the use of an exphere, without fell asleep. In that occasions, the next chief of Mizuho woke him by throwing a plate on his face (it was the only thing she considered a good substitute for an eraser).

Sheena even tried to jump that part and taught him the some moves to prepare him to the advanced ones, but Lloyd got bothered after one day about "the slowness of the moves" and started to ask if that would really be efficient at a battle almost at each move she tried to present to him. Sheena then discovered she didn't have the necessary patience to be a teacher (which earned to Lloyd some punches in the head).

"Hum... well, you know me. I like the practical things. I'm not good at theory and stuff.", Lloyd tried to justify. Sheena was about to reply, but she decided to don't waste her breath with that. Her knuckles still blaming for her had beat Lloyd's head with that strength. The dual swordsman's head was really hard. "Anyway, this place seems full of demons."

"Hu. This is nothing." Vallor commented, appearing near the boy. "When I came here, it was so full of demons that there wasn't space even for the corpses to fall. You have luck the best part of the troops is in land."

"And until now we didn't get any signal of the others that disappeared. I'm starting to get worried if anything happened to them.", Sheena said, using Demon Seal when the corpse of the Arch Demon near her seemed to move. "And this place is really getting in my nerves. The faster we got out of this city, the better."

While Lloyd tried to convince Sheena to not be so cruel with the dead demon, Vallor felt an human presence coming. The spirit hero looked to a bad illuminated corridor near a door of that room. Sheena and Lloyd noticed that and asked what Vallor was seeing. When he told to them his impression, they asked if could be any of their friends.

The hero of the Forgotten Ages looked more attentively to the corridor and saw a figure coming. The Eternal Swordsman and the Children of the Light also looked, recognizing the figure before he entered in the room they were.

"Well, well. Just look who I encountered. The swordsman and his girlfriend.", Shioru said, carrying the same mocking expression that was almost like a trademark to him. "You know Lloyd, I have been thinking. I don't give one day after you marry with her, for your life go down road."

"Listen here! Just what's your... ?!", Lloyd tried to argue with the rogue, but Sheena interrupted.

"Don't waste your breath with him, Lloyd. This guy isn't worth of it.", the summoner then turned to her former rival. "I suppose you still wanting your revenge on me.", Shioru nodded and before he could throw any comment at her, Sheena said. "You didn't learn anything until now and still dishonoring the name of your family and the arts of our village by turning into a rogue and using your skills to kill innocents."

Shioru chuckled at that. It was of common knowledge that many criminals who were banished from Mizuho turned into rogues, using the skills they learned to gain money by doing whatever despicable work they could. These rogues were considered worse than garbage by the leaders of the village. When they heard about one turning too much powerful, the village sent some of their warriors to kill the "dishonorable criminal".

The rogue ninja, however, never paid much attention to that thing, for he never thought he would become someone that his people disliked. But then his family was killed by Volt and he forgot everything about honor and decency, doing everything he could to punish the ones he considered the guilts by ruin his life, even if it meant brought shame to Mizuho.

Sheena could saw on Shioru's eyes what he was thinking. He would never learn. Sighing at something that certainly could turn into routine when she took the leadership of the village, the next chief said:

"In cases like this, it's acceptable I punish you with death. But I won't do so.", that part got Shioru surprised. He was waiting for the female ninja to invoke the law of death applied to criminals out of the village, but he never thought she would open hand from do so. "I'll fight with you in a one-to-one duel, here and right now, as by the traditions of Mizuho. My ancestor, Vallor, will be the observer."

At that saying, Vallor floated near to Sheena, accepting her request and shooting a serious look to the rogue ninja. The ancient hero didn't know much about Mizuho's laws, but he didn't approve all of Shioru's selfish acts. Someone that did all that Shioru did and threw all the blame to one single moment of disgrace in his life was just a spoiled child who didn't want to take the responsibility for his actions.

"Alright then. If that will make you got more humiliated, I'll duel with you and defeat you by the traditions of Mizuho. I'll kill you at the front of your ancestor for him to see just what pathetic descendant he has."

Lloyd mumbled something like "asshole", before took some room from his girlfriend for her to fight. The room was big enough to be a good battlefield and gave to Sheena a good space to do her moves, in the case she needed to dodge some of Shioru's attacks. The Eternal Swordsman was certain Sheena wouldn't loose to that spoiled man.

Vallor then gave signal for the two start. Shioru was the first to attack with quick strikes, but his speed wasn't anywhere near to Sheena's. All those fights against the elemental shadows, Vallor and Lloyd had gave to her a better speed. Even so the rogue ninja was trying to use all his strength to land a blow on her.

Shioru tried to hit Sheena with his two curved blades at the same time in an attack that formed a "+", followed by another attack, forming an "X", and another two attacks, which the blades took the opposite movement. The force of the attacks made the female ninja got out of balance and Shioru took the moment to stab her. The next chief of Mizuho, however, held the rogue's hand, stopping the blade when it was inches from her face.

"Serpent Dance.", the Children of the Light recognized the sequence.

"Improved by me.", Shioru said, with a mocking smile and trying to stab Sheena with his other blade, but the ninja was ready to catch the other hand of the dishonored warrior.

"No, it wasn't.", the guardian user said, pulling Shioru to her by his hands and hitting him in the stomach with her knee. The seconds which the rogue lost the air, Sheena hit him with the side of her hand on the back of the head, making him to fall to the ground. "You used too much strength trying to break my defenses and forgot to apply the necessary speed and accuracy. The moment was also inappropriate for you to apply this attack. It seems so many years working like a rogue dulled your abilities as a ninja."

Shioru grumbled something from his position, putting the hands on the ground, trying to stand. He saw Sheena's legs near him, grab it and pulled, making the female ninja to lose the equilibrium and fell. The rogue then brought his weapon up, to stab the next chief of Mizuho while she was falling.

The grand summoner saw that action and quickly thought on a counter move. She put her right hand on Shioru's face and used it as leverage, by pushing him to the ground again, to get to her feet again, twisting her body like a true acrobat. The blade scratched Sheena's side, without do any significant damage.

Vallor looked all the fight with a taciturn expression. Shioru's moves were the type of dirty tricks any ordinary bandit would do to win a fight, but Sheena seemed to have been trained to deal with this kind of situations. Her level of experience and flexibility were higher than the rogue's, maybe because he stopped to train those tactics and moves since his exile from the village. All the ancient hero could saw was someone desperate, trying to get revenge upon someone who already make up for her sins and crimes.

_He'll just destroy himself if he continues with this. There's no point in take a revenge upon Sheena when she was already forgiven by the families of the ones killed in the accident with Volt. This is just a futile attempt for him to try and prove to himself it was Sheena's fault his banishment._, Vallor analyzed. The illuminated spirit sighed, that was the kind of people that Nebilim used the most to do his dirty work and discarded latter.

Lloyd cheered up Sheena each time she countered and land a hit on her former ninja companion. The red clad warrior once understood Kuchinawa's motives when he tried to take revenge upon Sheena. But the Eternal Swordsman thought that, even the powerful ninja may had forgiven Sheena by what she had done to his family after all this time.

At the time of their duel, Kuchinawa also seemed to have recognized his mistakes, by saying he would left the village whatever would be the result of the fight. Lloyd could remember how the ninja tried to kill himself after loose and his reaction after he had told to him about the honor in living. But that was different. Shioru still trying to blame Sheena for his own mistakes and Lloyd doubt that deranged rogue had any drop of decency left on him.

Shioru again tried to hit Sheena, but the ninja simply dodged and countered with Pyre Seal. When the rogue stood, he went to attack again, hitting the summoner's fan of cards with his blades and receiving a kick in the gut, which made him back away. The former ninja was already panting. The Children of the Light dodged all his stronger attacks and sometimes countered with kicks, punches and techniques from Mizuho, both of martial arts and with her cards.

The grand summoner never once used her dagger, which Shioru got to know from Kermish had powerful proprieties, even when she had chances to do so. That was what angered him the most. She was fighting with him like he was any other ninja from the village. For him, it was like she was just playing.

The rogue again tried to attack, but he was already feeling weak from all the previous attempts and ran at a slow peace. When he tried to slash at Sheena, the female ninja knelled and, spinning her body, kicked the rogue's legs, making him to fall by what seemed the tenth time. Shioru tried to stand, but the tiredness finally caught to him and he couldn't do it.

Waiting for the final blow to come, Shioru closed his eyes. After wait for what seemed many minutes, he opened his eyes again and looked to Sheena, she was immobile at her place, just looking to him.

"So... won't you finish me?", Shioru asked, panting.

"I said I wouldn't do it and I'll maintain my word.", Sheena answered, looking to Vallor.

"The fight is over and Sheena won. That's all.", the ancient hero said.

The Children of the Light gave her back to the fallen rogue and walked to her boyfriend. Shioru gridded his teeth in anger, shouting at his opponent:

"What are you?! Stupid?! I'll chase you if you let me alive, you idiot!"

Sheena stopped and stayed in silence for some time. Turning her head to the former ninja, the next chief of Mizuho spoke in a serious tone:

"Then come again and I'll defeat you how many times it's necessary. I fought with you by the traditions of the village as I said I would do and I defeated you. That's all."

"You could have used that dagger to defeat me, but you didn't. Why? Are you afraid of kill when you already caused so many deaths?", Shioru asked, like trying to change the subject.

Sheena then took the dagger with its sheath and looked to it. The female ninja then looked back to the rogue and said:

"I won't use this dagger against you, because it was made by my family and I don't want to get it dirty with the blood of someone like you. You're just a spoiled guy who isn't able to assume your own mistakes. The punishment I'll place upon you is for you to live knowing that everything you made to get this revenge of yours resulted in nothing. Your conscience will be your punishment."

Sheena then turned again, leaving Shioru to grid his teeth in anger. He wouldn't accept that. It couldn't be his fault all that happened to his life. It should be Sheena's fault. He had to defeat her so he could prove that.

_How will you defeat her if you can't even stand?_, a strangely venous voice asked inside Shioru's head.

He didn't mind how, he just wanted to inflict as much pain as he could on that convinced ninja. He wouldn't leave she get out like that, like she was better than him. He would give anything just to see Sheena's pain expression. The voice again sounded in his head:

_If you really desire it, then embrace your darkness and let me help you..._, without Shioru noticed, Kermish appeared behind him.

Sheena felt a familiar energy behind her. Lloyd then pointed to Shioru and the female ninja turned. For her surprise, Nebilim's voice came out of Kermish's mouth, like the Dark Lord had possessed his own puppet:

"Your darkness will guide you and with them you shall encounter the power you need to kill her.", Kermish then placed his hand upon Shioru's exphere. A weak glow came from it and when the fallen Chosen retrieved his hand, Sheena and Lloyd could see another, strange exphere there. Doom's Blood.

The dark mage stood and looked to the two lovers, smiling his typical, arrogant smile before disappear. The female ninja turned her look to the rogue once she heard he start to scream of pain. Widening her eyes, the Children of the Light witnessed the former ninja transform.

Shioru grew many meters and dark-blue fur started to appear in his arms, legs and back. His clothe ripped open and his lips transformed into fangs. Claws took the place of the fingers and the rogue's hair grew wildly. Fierce eyes with red veins and yellow irises replaced the black orbs. When the transformation was complete, the grand summoner couldn't detect any trace of the Shioru she once knew. In his place was now a demon of the size of three adult humans.

* * *

NOTE: Talking about sttuborn to the death. In my opinion, people who always try to blame the others even for their own mistakes needs a good beat to take their in the place, or at least a good shake (leans against a beach chair and back to read a book).


	47. The Price of Revenge

It's time to say goodbye to another henchmen of the villians (you know who I'm talking about).

Nothing more to declarate.

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* * *

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**Chapter 47**

**The Price of Revenge**

Demon Shioru attacked Sheena with its great claws, making holes in the stone floor. The female ninja tried to use her cards, but the fur of the creature was as hard as dragon's scale, making a good shield against the summoner's attacks.

_Shioru, you idiot!_, Sheena thought after had recovered from the shock of seeing the rogue transform into that monster. _None revenge worth to go this far!_

Lloyd wanted to help her, but he couldn't do anything without his swords. All the Eternal Swordsman could do was to watch his girlfriend dealing with her former rival.He still couldn't believe Shioru let his thoughts of revenge got him to this point, but he knew they couldn't do anything if the rogue choose to abandon his humanity in the name of that stupid revenge.

"Sheena, you don't have choice. Use the dagger. It's the only thing that can penetrate this demon's shield.", Vallor's voice came from the necklace. He had come back to the jewel once Sheena's duel had ended.

The ninja realized she really didn't have choice. The demon tried to attack her with a energy blast from its mouth, Sheena defended using Guardian Seal. The grand summoner then drew her dagger and went to the attack. The demon again tried to hit her with its claws, but she jumped in its arm and started to run through it. When near the beast's face, the Children of the Light slashed the demon's cheek, making blood flew from the wound and glowing energies appear there.

When Sheena landed, she could hear the demon roar in pain. The female ninja felt the creature attacking her with its claws again. The guardian user tried to jump at the creature's arm one more time, but when she landed she felt several stings in her feet, it was like the fur of the demon had turned into needles.

Demon Shioru batted the ninja away with its other hand, launching her to the wall with great strength. Lloyd ran to her and saw the demon preparing to smash his love with its knuckle. The red clad warrior shouted to her and saw the fist descending.

Smoke rose when the fist made contact with the floor. Lloyd's heart almost jumped out by his mouth, but then he saw the monster retrieving his knuckle, with a great gash on it. When the angel looked back to where the demon had attacked, he saw Sheena, with just some scratches from the pebbles that flew from the attack. The Eternal Swordsman sighed in relief.

The Children of the Light again attacked the former human, landing blows on its legs and long arms. Sparks started to appear around the limbs the female ninja hit, but the demon didn't give any signal of being limited by the wounds. On the contrary, he started to attack with more speed and ferocity. The grand summoner again attacked while avoided the blows of the transformed rogue.

Sheena analyzed the situation again, avoiding another blow of the over sized fist of the monster. The wounds weren't regenerating, which indicated the enchantments of the dagger were making effect. But the creature still moving even after she had hit critical points, like the ankles and the back of the hands. That could only mean the demon was being sustained by magic.

_It must be Doom's Blood. If I can destroy it, maybe I can even save him._, Sheena thought.

The ninja then located the demonic jewel in the demon's right arm, above a gash she had made. Demon Shioru launched another explosive breath against her, but the ninja again dodged the attack and ran to the right arm of the creature. When the next chief of Mizuho was about to hit the cursed exphere, it was absorbed by the arm. Sheena didn't have time to react and slashed at the hand of the demon, who countered with its attacked limb again, launching her in the wall one more time.

Standing, Sheena saw Doom's Blood appearing in the collar of the monster. She didn't understand what had just happened, but decided to try again. The female ninja avoided another blow from the monster's claws, which gave to her more scratches in the arm, and jumped to hit the demonic jewel, but again it entered the transformed human's body, disappearing of sigh.

Before the grand summoner could do something, the demon breathed fire on her. Sheena tried to enchant her cards with water to nullify the flames, but part of her legs got burnt from the attack and she was pushed against the ground. The female ninja stood again, feeling some pain. Part of her boots and pants were now charred. Putting the fire that still on her clothing out, Sheena put some cards enchanted with water on her burns, to bring relief to the pain.

Doom's Blood again appeared in the left arm of the monster. The Children of the Light decided to call for her ancestor to get some tip of what to do, speaking his name to her necklace. The silver jewel glowed and Sheena heard Vallor's voice while avoided another attack of the monster:

"It seems you'll have to cut off the limb where the soul gem is. It's the only way to kill this monster."

"But, what will happen with Shioru if I do this?", Sheena asked. Thought hated to admit, she felt pity on the former ninja.

"He's beyond salvation. Even if he reverts back to his human form, the wounds or the shock of have his mind pulled between two opposite natures will kill him. I know it might sound a harsh think to say, but he chose to end like this. The only thing we can do is prevent his soul from being absorbed by Doom's Blood.", Vallor spoke.

Sheena nodded, she was ready to accept that the things might came down to that once she saw the rogue transforming into that monster. Another fire breath and Sheena used Guardian Seal to defend from the flames. Vallor's voice sounded in her mind again:

"Combine your dagger with a card of light to create a longer blade, so you'll have a sword with the weigh of a dagger. I'll help you to create it, just leave your mind blank."

Sheena drew another card and enchanted it with light as she was told. She warped the seal around the dagger's edge and left her mind blank. The descendant of the hero felt her lips pronouncing words apart of her will and her mind focusing on a knowledge that wasn't hers. When the grand summoner noticed, the blade of the dagger glowed and the light enlarged, taking the size of the blade of a katana.

The female ninja looked to her weapon, impressed at what Vallor had just done for her weapon. She then looked to her demon opponent, the creature had stopped once saw the blade glowing and now looked scared about the blade. Demon Shioru then roared and ran to attack again.

Sheena ran to him and when the two where at range to attack, the demon tried to cleave Sheena. The female ninja quickly jumped aside and threw two flaming cards on the demon. The seal cards attached to the demon's eyes and the creature let out a roar, trying to take the burning cards out of his eyes.

The Children of the Light took the moment and jumped. Swinging her enchanted weapon, Sheena cut off the arm of the demon. Blood rained upon her again, dying her blue kimono of red. The gashes in the monster shined and shot rays of light while the beast grab what had left of his left arm.

Black smoke came out of the gashes and dispersed in the air, Sheena could felt it was the energies of the demon. When the lights faded, demon Shioru let out a final, hear-piercing roar and fell.

Lloyd ran to Sheena once he saw the dagger returning to normal. When he reached her, an awful scent invaded his nostrils, but he held the impulse to hold his nose. The scent was coming from Sheena's clothes. The Eternal Swordsman asked to her if she was alright.

"I'll be when I sent my clothes to the laundry. Man, I felt sorry for them, it's a real pain to remove stains of demon blood.", the female ninja said, wringing the edge of her clothes to make some of the demon blood on it drop.

"I feel sorry for you to need to kill him.", the red clad warrior said. Sheena shook her head.

"It's alright. At least we saved his soul, but I feel pity on him. He chooses to do this just because he didn't want to accept it was his fault the other things that happened in his life."

The Eternal Swordsman nodded. The two looked to the corpse of the demon, lowering their heads in respect for their defeated opponent. The sound of glass hitting the floor reached Lloyd's ears. He turned to his love and asked if she had heard that. The two lovers looked around and found something rolling away of the arm Sheena had cut. They saw it was Doom's Blood.

Lloyd and Sheena ran to catch the cursed jewel, but before they could, it was covered by a dark smoke, which took an humanoid form and ignited in flames. Nebilim's burning shadow looked to them with a smile, his exphere in hand.

"I hope you don't mind I take back what's mine.", the flaming wraith said, before disappear in a burst of flames.

"Damn.", Lloyd and Sheena mumbled at the same time.

The door at the other side of the hall opened, giving passage to Origin, Luna, Maxwell, Colette and Presea. Sheena could also feel the presence of the other spirits with the group. When Colette saw the two, the blond angel ran to them and hugged the two.

"Lloyd, Sheena! I was so worried something had happened to you two.", the smiling girl said. She turned to Lloyd. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you? Are you wounded?"

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down Colette. I'm fine. But I must say, if it wasn't for Sheena, I don't think I'll still like myself.", Lloyd said, trying to make his worried friend to calm down. The Chosen looked to Sheena, like waiting for an explanation.

"It's a long story. I'll tell to you when we get out of here.", the female ninja said.

The others approached. Presea looked to the big, fallen demon and back to her friends, asking if they fought that thing by themselves. Lloyd told it was Sheena who defeated the demon and quickly narrated to them their encounter with Shioru and how it ended by the rogue transforming into that beast they were seeing. Colette covered her mouth with her hands by hearing that while Presea, who was with her typical serious expression, said:

"Sheena, I'm sorry for ask this. It must had been hard for you to kill someone of your village like this."

"It's alright, Presea. Shioru chose to do this and I couldn't do anything about it. It's like they said: we can't control people's choices.", Sheena said.

"Yes.", Origin spoke. "There are things that people must see by themselves and nobody can do in their place. You can't control the consequences of others' acts.", the supreme spirit then turned to Lloyd and extended his two lower arms. The Material Blades appeared in Origin's hands and the King of the Summon Spirits handed it to Lloyd.

"Thanks Origin! I really miss them.", the Eternal Swordsman said, putting the swords in its sheaths.

Colette then looked around and asked where the others were. Sheena told to her they got separated in an enchanted corridor. The blond girl gasped and told to them a similar thing happened in the library when they went to get the Material Blades.

"Then we have six people missing. We have to find them, before we can advance further in this castle.", Presea said in her almost robotic tone, which indicated she was really worried about them.

The entire group nodded and Origin said for them to follow him. The guardian of creation said he was feeling the presence of someone near there. The other spirits appeared as the group followed the great king.

Celsius sniffed the air, sensing a strange scent nearby. She walked nearer to Sheena and noticed it came from her clothes. Holding her nose with two fingers, the icy entity spoke:

"Oh my, what did you do to smell like this? It seems you took a bath of demon blood."

"Something like this. Maybe one of you could revert this situation...", the young woman said, eying Undine.

"I'm the controller of the water supplies of this world, not a walking laundry.", the aquatic entity said.

- - - - -

Raine woke, though she didn't remember of fall asleep. All the healer remembered was to walk in that corridor and then all went dark and she didn't remember anything more. Opening her eyes, the first thing she caught in her sight was instruments of metal. The next thing her senses caught was the scent of rotting flesh and dried blood. Scent of death.

When the eyes of the half-elven teacher got used with the bad illuminated environment, the next thing she made was to gasp. The room was full of torture instruments, such as balls attached to chains, iron coffins with spikes inside, guillotines, board with chains to pull people's arms and legs and many other things she thought never exist. Some weapons still with pieces of flesh and blood dripping from their blades, spikes and anything they had that could harm skin, like they had been recently used.

_I'm in a torture chamber!_, the female half-elf realized with disgust. _I have to get out of here!_

Raine then located an iron door at the top of some steps. She ran to the door and tried to open, by pulling the ring attached to it, but it didn't budge. She tried to push it, but it also didn't work, the door should be locked. Panting, the teacher tried to calm down, she needed to stay with clear head to find a way to escape from that chamber.

Walking to the middle of the room again, Raine stopped when she heard the noise of gears working. Could someone be tortured at that moment? Did the fortress already arrived at Meltokio and Nebilim was already making prisoners?

Before the half-elven woman could think more, the floor on her feet opened and she fell. The young woman screamed in fear as she fell... inside a pool of water. Raine immediately stood and found, to her relief, the water in that hole was just knee deep. Even so she didn't feel well at being there. Looking up, she saw the floor where she stood was in true iron bars crossed to form squares.

"An interesting space, don't you think?", an ethereal voice boomed in the hole. Raine looked to her front and found Khan'Tharu's green "eyes" looking to her. The magical undead was floating inches above the level of the water, his robe almost touching the surface of the liquid. "I never understood how water, the liquid of life, could inspire fear on people. When Lord Nebilim showed how water could also be another way to afterlife, I understood.I understood even further when I saw people like you, who fear to encounter this way through water and prefer to avoid this precious liquid."

Raine felt the familiar chill on her spine by having the Linch gazing into her soul, but what made she fear the skeletal being the most at that moment was what he just spoke about water and death. They knew she had fear of water.

_Of course. They spied us in the temples. They probably saw when I fall in the frozen lake of the Ice Temple._, Raine realized.

The skeleton mage then bent and touched the water with the tip of his skeletal, indicator finger. Raine felt the temperature in the water decrease many degrees in seconds. The walls of the hole formed some ice where the water touched. Raine hugged her body, trying to maintain herself warm in the middle of that cold pool.

Sound of water dripping startled the half-elf woman. When she looked around, she saw great loads of water coming out of four pipes at each of the walls. The level of the pool started to raise and the half-elven teacher looked around in horror, searching for any possible exit, but there was none.

Raine tried to climb the walls, but there was slime growing on it, making the stone slippery. The water was almost at her waist and she started to chatter. At that peace, she would die from either the low temperature of the water, or drowned when it reached her head.

_No! I can't die like this!_, Raine thought in panic.

Khan'Tharu stayed at his place, floating inches from the level of the water, just looking to his victim. He seemed to analyze the situation, but it was impossible to say what he could be thinking. The Linch then floated nearer to the half-elven teacher and stopped, crossing his skeletal arms and asking, in his booming, ethereal voice, a question that got Raine more startled:

"Do you want to be saved?"


	48. What Knowledge Represents

What's up people?! One more chapter for you!

I know this one may be a rather big, but if I divide too much the battles that will appear this part of the fic, it will get too much big in the matter of number of chapters, which isn't my intention. But, like I haven't seen any of you complaining about big chapter... 8)

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**Chapter 48**

**What Knowledge Represents**

Raine looked to the Linch, imagining if she had heard it right. Khan'Tharu asked if she wanted to be saved... that was just too much suspect. From everything she had saw and heard about Nebilim, the half-elven teacher was certain there would be a price.

"Do you want to be saved and live or do you want to die here, in the worst way you could think on?", the undead mage asked again.

"And w-w-what you would be the p-p-price?", Raine asked back, trying to maintain a firm look, aside of being chattering and the dread that situation caused to her.

The Linch made a noise that seemed like a chuckle. Opening his mouth again and letting the sound came out from it, Khan'Tharu spoke, in a tone of amusement:

"Do you think your life have a price? There's nothing we're asking from you, save an answer to my question. On the contrary, if you choose the right path, then the rewards may be great."

Before the healer could react, Khan'Tharu stretched his skeletal, indicator finger and touched her forehead. Raine felt like the entire scenery was dissolving around her and being replaced by another. Her clothes got dry and the cold disappeared.

When her sight refocused, Raine lost her breath. She was at the middle of a great library. Bookcases covered the walls, containing tomes and volumes of books, some with titles she never saw. Relics on pedestals decorated that library. All that sum, made the female researcher stay mouth agape.

Raine never dreamed of see so much relics at the same place, not even Sybak had as much books as that library. She walked to a nearby pedestal, looking to a vase, absolutely marveled.

"This is a vase telling the history of how the elves constructed a village when they arrived in this world.", the half-elven woman said.

"This is just one of the many relics that there are in this library.", Khan'Tharu said, approaching Raine, who seemed to pay little attention to who was just speaking. "You always sought the knowledge of the past to pass it to the younger generations, believing that the learnings from the ancient times could built a better future. Isn't it true?"

The half-elven researcher nodded, still looking to the vase. She indeed tried to teach the others that the past could bring great improvements to the actual times. Her passion for ruins and knowledge of the past started by her search for the ruin where she was left by her mother. Then she saw how people of the past solved their problems, how some cultures were advanced in some fields. The half-elven teacher found she had great curiosity about events of the past, their consequences to the actual days and what could be learned from them.

_Knowledge that could be shared with people._, Raine once thought. That thought made her to become a teacher.

Raine was brought back from her memories by Khan'Tharu's voice, pointing to a nearby bookcase:

"You may encounter scrolls containing spells that the elves forgot long ago and knowledge about mana that could revolutionize your actual control over it and its different elemental forms. But the biggest and most important relic of this library is right here."

The Linch then floated forward and Raine followed. They passed some corridors of bookcases and reached what seemed to be the end of the library. There, in a bare part of the wall, was a wooden box, attached to the wall and with a glass on it, with a book inside. The book had a cape made of a brown material that looked like leather and letters in red, written in elven glyphs, read "Necronomicon".

Raine struck at her place. There was the book that was considered forbidden by the elves, not that one binded in black that she saw with Abyssion, but one that looked really like something that was written by the elves. The book itself didn't radiate that strange aura of power that its copy had. It looked just what it was, a book.

"I'm sure you know about the legends, don't you? This is the original Necronomicon. The book that registered the knowledge of the ancient, noble elven tribe that researched the element darkness. The book whose knowledge was unfairly despised by the elves, knowledge about even death. From all the books written by the first elven tribes, teaching their discoveries about the elements, this is the rarest.

"It's still having the notes and corrections Lord Nebilim made about the correct way to perform its rituals and to cast its spells. Now, imagine how all this knowledge could benefit those who live.", Khan'Tharu said, approaching to Raine and bending nearer to her ear.

The half-elven teacher didn't know what to talk. She always had curiosity about what exactly made the Necronomicon be considered a forbidden book by the elves. Then she heard about what just happened to the tribe that wrote it. Now she was at the front of that rare relic from unmemorable times.

What should she think? The knowledge of the Necronomicon could surely benefit many of the actual studies and even change the view on darkness magic. If the stories about spells to revive the dead were true, it could even help in the treatment of many terminal diseases.

"Your objectives and Lord Nebilim's are the same. To use the knowledge of the ancient times to make a better world. Knowledge _is_ to be used for the sake of this world.", Khan'Tharu said, almost whispering at Raine's ear.

He was right, Raine had to admit it. Knowledge was to make the world a better place, but... something seemed wrong about it. She didn't know what it was, but she could feel that something was wrong. But what could it be? All that Khan'Tharu spoke was true, so...

The half-elven looked to the ground by the corner of her eyes, trying to not look at the ancient book. The Linch noticed that and floated to her front touching her forehead with his finger.

The female researcher again felt the sensation of the environment around her dissolving and being replaced by other. The first thing her senses caught was the cold. She was back to that hole with water. Raine felt fear and horror washing over her as she hugged her body and chattered again.

Was all of that just an illusion? It seemed so real and the design of the library matched with the one of the castle. No. That definitely wasn't an illusion. Water started to come out of the pipes and the healer again looked around in horror as the water started to rise.

"Now, decide. Will you accept our offer and let us help you or will you die by the liquid you fear so much?", the magical skeleton asked again, crossing his arms, like was waiting for an answer. "You can choose until the water covers you, but if you don't, I'll take it as you rejected our offer."

The water was now at Raine's waist. Memories then came to her, memories she didn't want to remember in that moment. She tried to move the memories away, but when she did so, images appeared in the water, images of those memories.

The half-elven teacher watched in the pool's water she as a child falling into a cold, tempestuous sea, her mother leaving she and Genis at the Otherworldly Gate, the first days of journey in Sylvarant, which she and her brother almost died from starvation, and many others of moments of pain and deception in her life.

"The water reflects things like they are. It doesn't matter if its a painful of if it's a moment of fear, the water will reflect it.", Khan'Tharu's ethereal voice sounded again. "If you choose to die and reject our offer, the last thing you'll feel is the feelings you felt in all these painful moments of your live, because you won't drown just in the water, you'll drown inside our own memories..."

- - - - -

Lloyd's group hastened their peace when Volt said (with the help of Celsius) he could feel the lightnings of the storm around the fortress hitting the sea. The party realized they should be flying above the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge by now.

Origin then made signal for them to halt. The great king said he was feeling a presence and it was sufficiently close for him to identify it as one of their friends. The supreme spirit pointed to an iron door, saying their friend was inside that room.

Lloyd ran to the front, but before he could reach the door, an iron ball of the size of an human head, with spikes and a chain attached to it, flew to him. The Eternal Swordsman noticed the heavy projectile at time to jump and dodge it. The ball hit where the red clad warrior was seconds ago and started to shine with a multicolored light.

Before Lloyd could contain his surprise, the colors organized, drawing the face of a Drake, and a electrical blast came from the mouth of the drawing. The attack hit Lloyd, electrocuting him and launching the young man to the direction of his friends, who came to him. The iron ball was pulled back and was stopped by an armored boot, which touched the great projectile in the part without spikes. Wearing the boot was someone wearing a complete armor, which didn't show even his eyes.

The armor was of a dull golden tone with some of the same, strange symbols of the entrance door drew in its chest plate. The helm had a visor with thin, horizontal lines on it and its sides had an adornment that looked like elven ears, but it covered almost all the side of the helm.

Lloyd and the others never saw an armor like that. It was probably something made in the Forgotten Ages. The Summon Spirits looked to the armor with a serious look. Celsius was the one to speak:

"Almerium.", the mortal members of the group got confused at that and asked to the icy entity what it meant. "It's the elven name of this thing. The literal translation is 'Master of Weapons'. But if he's here, shouldn't he...?"

Celsius' question was answered when two other armors came. These one were of a vibrant green, carrying the same symbols and design of its golden version, but the difference was that their helms had the design of a dragon head without horns and with red hair, sprouting from the top and falling behind. Where the visor should be was the mouth of the dragon and nothing could be seen inside it.

Undine then explained to the group what the two new creatures just were:

"Dragon Armors. Together with Almerium, they were one of the main footman of Nebilim. Almerium works as a specie of commander to these armors, you'll never see a Master of Weapons without at least two Dragon Armors. They're magical armors brought to life by Nebilim to follow all his commands."

"And how do we defeat them?", Lloyd asked. Undine left Celsius to answer that one.

"Beat them out of the crap.", the guardian spirit said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Sheena drew her cards and said for Colette and Presea go and rescue whoever was in that room, she and Lloyd would take care of the armors. The ax wielder tried to argue, saying that by her analysis the two could have trouble to fight that armors without help. Efreet then went to the side of the two lovers, cracking his knuckles and saying:

"I'll help them. I want to see if these Dragon Armors really deserve this name.", the fiery entity said, with a mischievous smile in his face.

Colette and Presea nodded, seeing the two would be alright with the help of the powerful red giant. The two girls tried to go to the door, but the Master of Weapons spun his iron ball above his head, menacingly. The living armor then threw the heavy projectile at the two friends, but Lloyd came at their front and deflected the iron ball away.

The Eternal Swordsman massaged his arm with his other hand, mumbling something about the ball being just too much heavy. Without lose more time, Colette and Presea opened the door and entered inside the chamber.

The two Dragon Armors went to attack Sheena and Efreet at a gesture of their leader, drawing long swords. Efreet easily defended the blow with his giant hands while Sheena dodged the attacks. Lloyd decided to fight against the Almerium, who again tried to launch the spiked, iron ball against him...

- - - - -

Presea and Colette entered in the torture chamber. The first thing the blond angel made was to gasp at seeing and smelling the death-thick air. The entire place brought a deep feeling of disgust to the Chosen. Presea was also extremely disgusted with the sight of such room, but tried to concentrate her efforts on finding their friend.

Origin pointed to some iron bars in the ground, covering a hole, saying their friend was inside that hole. The ax wielder and the white clad Chosen went to the middle of the room and looked inside the hole, their hearts almost stopped when they just saw what was inside the hole.

Raine was looking around with an expression of utter fear and horror as four pipes poured water into a pool that was at the level of Raine's chests. The two girls got even more worried when they saw Khan'Tharu floating above the water, eying Raine with his bone arms crossed.

"What could Nebilim's advisor want with her?", Luna asked, more to herself.

"We have to save to save the Professor!", Colette said in a tone of urgency.

The blond angel tried to grab the bars, but she was violently thrown aback by a charge of energy. A transparent, violet barrier appeared over the bars and, in a blink of eyes, disappeared. The spirits didn't get so surprised by seeing a barrier over there. For them, that just meant Nebilim indeed had interest on Raine.

Presea drew her ax and started to beat the barrier with all of her strengths, but each attack was reflected. Colette came back and called for her technique of light manipulation and started to hit the barrier with punches, enchanted projectiles and chackrans. Undine tried to use her mana to control the water in the hole, but even her mana was deflected by the barrier.

"Even mana can't pass this barrier.", Undine pronounced.

"And what so? Let's help them.", Celsius said, starting to kick the barrier.

Origin, Maxwell and Shadow stayed looking to the barrier and to the half-elven teacher below. They could see the images of Raine's memories in the water and could sense the desperation and fear of the healer. Nebilim was once again using the fears and misfortunes of someone's life to force him into accept a disguised deal with the Dark Lord. That worried the three entities to no end.

Khan'Tharu looked up, once he felt a disturbance in the barrier. The Linch got surprised by seeing Presea, Colette, Celsius and Undine attacking the barrier, but that passed unnoticed by Raine, who was more worried about the water reaching her neck. Nebilim's advisor turned to the female half-elf and spoke:

"I'll ask just one more time: do you choose to be saved by us, or do you choose to die?"

The healer saw she didn't have any other choice, the water had covered her neck and was advancing to reach her chin. Raine couldn't hear or see the protests of the spirits and her companions above. She was ready to speak, when something emerged from the water at her front.

The necklace of the elven tribe that studied Undine's mana was at the front of the half-elven teacher. The necklace Zelos gave to her. Looking to the jewel, memories of that day, when Zelos confessed to her, rushed back to the female researcher.

_"It's not about the jewel itself, but what it represents."_

What it represented... she had said that words. How could she had forgotten a lesson to herself? Suddenly, all made sense to Raine. The strange feeling of something wrong at the library and while Khan'Tharu speeched about knowledge's use... everything made sense to her.

Chuckling, Raine the grab the Sea's Eye and grasped it, like was drawing forces from the jewel and looked to the Linch. Nebilim's advisor seemed some of confused for the half-elf's look change from a desperate and scared one to another of decision and amusement. The images of her memories started to disappear from the surface of the water.

"My answer is no. I don't want to be saved by you or anyone loyal to your lord.", Raine said, trying hard to not chatter. The cold was almost insupportable.

"So, did you choose to die?", the Linch asked, but Raine shook her head.

"I never said that. I said I don't want the salvation you propose, neither I want your knowledge even if it was the last that exist in this planet.", Raine looked up and saw a barrier appear and disappear above the bars. The female half-elf caught a glimpse of her friend's image, beating the barrier with expressions of hope in their faces, they should have heard what she had said. "Your knowledge represents nothing, but death and sorrow.

"I heard that Nebilim believed it was mistake for the elves to share knowledge with humanity, I think otherwise. Knowledge is to be shared with everybody. You talk about making a better world with the knowledge of the past, but if this knowledge represents only destruction and death then it shouldn't even be known by anybody."

While Khan'Tharu didn't notice Raine that was charging a Ray spell, concentrating to make the sphere of light appear inside the water. The Linch's "eyes" shone slightly stronger as the undead magician spoke in an angry tone:

"Foolish woman. Only those who are worthy can use the knowledge and control its powers to bring order and peace to this world. It's because of people like you that knowledge goes to people that will only disrupt peace and create conflicts and war, by using it to seek their desires and creating opposite powers."

"Maybe. But I'll follow the path I believe! Ray!"

Something shone inside the pool and, before Khan'Tharu could do something, beams of light shot out of the water and hit the Linch and the bars above. Origin and the other spirits took the moment and attacked the barrier with all their forces.

The attacks at the two sides broke the barrier and the bars. Raine held her breath and dove inside the water. Without the barrier, Undine used her mana and opened the waters, reveling Raine's figure.

"Professor, here!", Presea shouted, making Raine to look up. The pink haired girl lowered her ax's hilt for the half-elven teacher to grab.

Presea then pulled Raine out of the hole as the water returned to its normal state. Colette and Presea hugged Raine as the older woman returned the gesture. When the three seemed calmer, the female archaeologist looked back to the hole and saw that Khan'Tharu had disappeared.

Colette asked if Raine was alright, receiving an affirmative answer. The blond angel then saw the Sea's Eye and pointed to the jewel, asking if that was the necklace Zelos gave to her as a present.

"Yes and if it wasn't for this, I think I'll be one of Nebilim's minions by now.", Raine looked to the necklace, smiling. It was like Zelos had saved her, by teaching to the half-elven archaeologist that important lesson, even if it was unknowingly. "But how do you know Zelos gave me a necklace of present?"

Presea also looked to Colette with curiosity, finding that really intriguing. The blond girl smiled a nervous smile as she clasped her hands in a prayer-way, gesture that only made the half-elven teacher got more suspicious.

Colette mumbled some words without much significance. The Summon Spirits in the room just chuckled and giggled at seeing the smiley girl's attempts to find a good answer. A voice then sounded in the room, startling the entire group:

"Isn't that obvious? She's the responsible for that little meet.", the voice came from the hole where Raine was. It sounded much like the female teacher's voice, but crueler, almost evil.

The group looked back to the pool, whose waters had filled it for complete. From the middle of the pool, tiny waves started to form as something came out of the water. It was the Devil's Arm Heart of Chaos. The cursed staff then inclined and stayed at the horizontal, approaching to the surface of the water. The heroines and spirits gasped when a hand came out of the water and grab the staff.

Then an arm started to emerge from the water, without cause any disturbance in the surface of the liquid, it was like water itself was producing the humanoid figure that was coming out. Then the head and the rest of the body came. The figure was dark, like someone had painted it from the head to the bottom, and was the exact image of Raine. The mortal members of the group struck when the figure raised its head and showed its eyes. They were of a green-poison.

"Why are you all looking at me like that? Raine, I thought you have educated your students better than that. To someone that insisted to not hear my advices...", the dark image of Raine said.

"Is... are you...?", Raine mumbled, eyes wide at seeing that figure.

"She's... you professor.", Colette said.

"She... your darkness...", Shadow said.

Volt spoke in his language, explaining the city had the propriety to create a projection of someone's darkness, an effect of Nebilim's twisted aura. According to the electrical entity, Nebilim could control that effect of the fortress and use it at his will to combat intruders.

Dark Raine chuckled at that, putting Heart of Chaos in her shoulder and walking in water, making tiny waves as she stepped the surface of the liquid without sank a millimeter. Raine's darkness then spoke:

"I knew you Summon Spirits would guess it out. You, owners of almost illimitable knowledge. And you never shared any of it with me. I honestly can't understand why people worship creatures as selfish as you.", Dark Raine then turned to the two young girls at the side of her complete self. "And you, my students. You never paid the fair respect for what I taught to you. Always making fun of my curiosity and enthusiasm for the wisdom of the past. I would be better teaching to worms."

"Stop!", Raine shouted. "You don't have the right to speak with them like this!"

"Why not? I'm you, Raine. I'm the anger and revolt of your thoughts and your heart. I'm only speaking what you never had courage to say. We always did everything for these ungrateful child, and how do they repay us? Lloyd is the Sir Stupidness itself and we lost great chances in our life just to take care of that brat of a brother we have."

Raine clutched her hands as Presea and Colette looked to her, like asking if what her darkness was saying was true. The half-elven teacher once had those thoughts, but it was always in moments of anger and disappointment, when things didn't happen like she predicted or great problems appear. But she never, ever, let those thoughts domain her mind or her heart. Now that shadow was speaking that like it was what she really thought about her former students and friends.

The Summon Spirits stayed quite as the female half-elf's darkness threw more of Raine's thoughts of fury. They didn't seem any upset when the projection of Raine's darkness again accused them of being selfish with the knowledge they had. The guardian entities knew that anything coming from that shadow was from irrational anger and misguided ideas.

The half-elven researcher then decided she have had enough of that phantom's venous comments. She again ordered her darkness to shut up and spoke:

"You may speak as much as you want, but I won't hear you! I choose to not follow your 'advices' and seeing you now, I see I made the right choice."

"Oh... then in this case...", Raine's darkness started to charge a spell as it spoke the next sentence. "I'll defeat you as Nebilim spoke me to do and take your body, then I'll make your dear students learn the lessons you fail in taught them. Bloody Lance!"

Fortunately, Raine already expect that kind of offensive spell and used Force Field in time to defend from the attack. The healer and her darkness then ran to each other and a fierce battle of staffs began.

Colette tried to go and help Raine, but was stopped by Origin's hand. Before the blond angel could ask why the King of the Summon Spirits stopped her, Origin threw one of his white lances against Raine's shadow. The weapon passed right through the dark image of the female researcher, like it was made of fog, and embedded itself on the wall. While the great king called his weapon back to his hand, Colette could saw the attack hadn't made any damage against Dark Raine.

"Her darkness... she fights.... she defeats it...", Shadow hissed. Colette and Presea nodded, understanding what he meant. The two young girls then turned and watched as Raine defended from the furious attacks of her darkness.

Dark Raine seemed to have an advantage due the Heart of Chaos' power, but Raine avoided some blows and casted spells to enchant her defense and physical power and offensive light magic when she had the chance. Dark Raine also casted several darkness spells, making Raine to use several times her defensive techniques. To anyone who watched, there was just one term to that fight. Equilibrated.

The half-elven archaeologist attacked her darkness again, but it defended and countered, forcing the half-elf to assume a defensive stance. None of them had any further advantage in that fight and Raine knew that. If she wanted to win, she would need a good strategy. And she was already thinking in one.

When Dark Raine attacked again, swinging her staff in the vertical, Raine had to knell when she blocked the attack. Pieces of wood flew at the front of her eyes and the half-elven archaeologist could see tiny cracks on her staff, where the Heart of Chaos was being hold. Dark Raine smiled as pushed Raine to the ground.

The healer then reacted by using all her strength to push her shadow away and quickly charged a spell. Raine casted Ray, making the projection of her darkness to back away. The researcher then guarded her staff, surprising everybody, save the spirits that stayed with serious expressions.

"How do you plan to win with no weapon in hand?", Dark Raine asked in a curious and almost evil tone.

"My, wasn't you the one blaming for me to don't insist in trying to discover things? If you think to be so much better than me, why don't you use this bright head of yours to discover?", the female teacher taunted, making her dark side's embodiment to grind.

Dark Raine charged another powerful spell and casted. A magic circle appeared in her front and several lances, made of darkness, shot from it. It was Shadow Lance.

"You're not the only one who has a trick in your sleeve. Holy Lance!", Raine casted the spell at her front, at the way of the dark lances. Without the staff, her casting was quicker, though not as effective, neither as powerful as it would be with the weapon.

When the light swords started to appear, Raine directed them in the way of the lances of opposite element, making the swords to hit the lances, one bouncing in another, disarming both the energy weapons. When the last, bigger sword fell, the healer used an extra charge of her mana to maintain the sword for sufficient time to it deflect the last lance.

Presea and Colette cheered the older woman, as she quickly casted another spell. Photon hit Dark Raine, immobilizing the darkness of the archaeologist and giving to her time to ran to her shadow and grab the staff. Heart of Chaos tried to repel Raine by shooting dark energies at her, as the female half-elf's darkness chuckled at the act.

"Did you get hit in the head? You just gave me the chance I needed.", Dark Raine said, trying to push her complete self to the ground, but to her surprise, Raine was making force back, preventing her darkness from push her away.

"Sometimes, it's necessary to maintain your friends close and your enemies closer.", Raine started to charge another spell, this time, using the Heart of Chaos' power as weapon. Raine's darkness widened its green-poison eyes, sensing the power built around the female researcher. "Forces of the world, protectors of the equilibrium... give me your aid to end with this evil that brings destruction! Peace Song!"

The familiar lights appeared above the duo, but this time purple balls of light shot out from Dark Raine, making her to scream like it was bringing to her pain. The researcher's darkness knelled as more lights shout out from her body. When the spell ended, Raine's dark side projection was ling in the ground.

"I thought that would work. Since you're an effect of this fortress' aura, you carry corruptive and twisted energies on you and Peace Song purifies any corruptive energy that there is in its range, like Maxwell explained to me when he taught this spell. In other words, I deprived you from the energy that sustained you.", Raine explained.

Raine's darkness looked to her with hatred in its eyes. It could feel the power leaving and its existence fading away. With the last of its strengths, Raine's darkness spoke:

"Why didn't you hear to me? If we have united to Nebilim, we would have all that we always dream of: ancient knowledge that nobody discovered and recognition by it."

"The price was just too high. I wouldn't trade my friends or anybody life for any knowledge in this world. Knowledge alone is worth nothing if you don't have someone to teach it and if you can't apply these teachings to make the life better.", Raine said, as the projection of her darkness faded, leaving just the Heart of Chaos behind.

The cursed weapon then floated some feet and Nebilim's burning shadow appeared at the front of it. The Summon Spirits, Presea and Colette went to Raine's side, who was panting due all the effort of the battle. The wraith then pronounced:

"So, you preferred to reject knowledge for your suppose friends and petty philosophy. You don't need to have someone to pass knowledge, for people will use your teachings to search their own objectives and these objectives may someday clash against yours and so the cycle of battles begin. Knowledge is power and power can only be held for those who are worthy to use it, those who will truly bring what is the best to this world and end with the cycle."

Before Raine or somebody could say something, Nebilim's shadow disappeared and the Heart of Chaos started to spin at high speed. Black smoke involved the foul item and when it dissipated, the weapon disappeared.

"Professor, are you feeling alright?", Presea asked as Maxwell approached to replenish Raine's mana.

"I'll be. Please, don't think that anything that shadow spoke was really true. I would never think of you like that.", Raine said.

"Don't worry, we know. You always acted with care towards us, always worried with what would be the best for us. I could even say you're more like a mother than a teach to us.", Presea said, smiling to assure Raine of her words.

The half-elven teacher also smiled, some of flushed by Presea's words. When Maxwell ended to restore Raine's mana, the researcher asked about where the others were and Colette told to her that Lloyd and Sheena were at the corridor outside the chamber, fighting against some living armors, and the others got scattered through the fortress.

Raine's reaction to the new was almost the same of Colette when the girl heard that even Sheena's party had disappeared. The older woman then said for them to go. The group nodded and walked to the door.

"I'm sure the summoner and her man already beat those guys. This is, if Efreet didn't roast them all.", Celsius said.

* * *

A.N.: Remember that the Heart of Chaos is one of Raine's best staff in matter of Intelligence. The bonus of power by killing enemy (the one you gain after you defeat Abyssion) is for her normal, physical attacks, the power of the spells remain the same, even after you defeat Abyssion.


	49. Betrayer of my Kind

The vengeful Dark Lord's spirit is on loose and all of you may be his next victims! Mwahahahahaha...! Uh... folks? Ops, I think I exaggerated.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 49**

**Betrayer of my Kind**

The Almerium attacked, swinging his iron ball again, which this time drew the face of a Bomb Sprout. Before Lloyd could avoid, he was caught by a explosion and was thrown away by what seemed the tenth time.

That battle was one of the most complicated he had seen. When the Master of Weapons attacked with that ball, the colors appeared over the polished, metal surface, drew the face of a monster and launched some attack of the pictured creature. The Eternal Swordsman was having some difficult to avoid all the different attacks of that magical weapon.

Looking to his side, Lloyd saw Sheena dueling with the Dragon Armor, easily avoiding the attacks of the living armor and countering with some of her seal attacks. The monster, however, was very though and the female ninja hardly blew him away, even with Demon Seal. Efreet's attacks were strong and already smashed some parts of the armor he was battling against, but the creature still fighting nonetheless.

At random times, the golden armor called its two soldiers with a gesture of its hand and the creatures immediately went to the side of the artificial commander. The two green armors attacked by sending waves of fire through the ground while Almerium launched his iron ball, which drew the face of what seemed to be a Linch and froze the ground beneath Lloyd and Sheena when it hit the floor between the two and they were hit by the fire weaves.

When they started to avoid that strategy, the Almerium countered with another. Making his iron ball to draw an Iapix's face, what made the heavy projectile to blow the two out to the wall. The Dragon Armors then took that change and ran to them with a speed that didn't match with their weight and attacked the two with several slashes of their long swords.

The red clad swordsman and the next chief of Mizuho got some wounds from all those attacks and they were already tired of getting beat by those over grown cans.

"Ok, you creep. Time to go down!", Lloyd said, running to the Master of Weapons, which started to spin his iron ball again and launched the projectile against Lloyd.

The angel rolled forward, passing below the flying mass of metal, and quickly cut the chain of the iron ball. The colors immediately disappeared from the surface of the heavy projectile and it fell to the ground. The Almerium looked to the chain he was holding and his destroyed weapon.

"Ha! What about now, hu?", Lloyd taunted. The living, golden armor threw the chain away and brought his hands to its back. A soft glow came from behind the magical monster and he brought the hands to the front again, with a war hammer in the right and a steel club with spikes in the other. "Uh?!", the Eternal Swordsman exclaimed, surprised by the creature had produced those weapons out of nowhere.

"Which part of 'Master of Weapons' you didn't understand?", Efreet asked from his place, grabbing the Dragon Armor with his big hands and attacking it with Flames of Victory. The metal soldier got some of melted, but still able to move and attack. "Destroy its weapons won't do any good. You need to destroy the armor.", Efreet then turned to his armor and punched it, sending the magical monster some meters away.

Lloyd nodded and again went to the attack. The Almerium swung his weapons at the boy, trying to hit Lloyd with the club. The Eternal Swordsman jumped above the golden armor to avoid the attack. When he landed, he spun and slashed at the back of the Master of Weapons with the Vorpal Blade. The red clad angel also attacked the living armor with some of his most powerful techniques, ending with Demonic Circle.

Almerium was pushed some feet forward and Lloyd jumped again, concentrating in release the power of the flames inside Flameberg. The sword of Lloyd's father ignited, circulating the young man in clouds of fire, which didn't burn him.

"Take this!", Lloyd shouted as he descended, making the air around him burn. Rising Phoenix hit the Master of Weapons, making the Flameberg to pierce the armor of the magical monster.

The living armor tried to take Lloyd from his back, but the red clad warrior's sword was embedded in the metal monster, making Lloyd to stay at the back of the golden armor. Lloyd then ignited the sword again and retrieved it from the armor with all his strength, making the hole at the back of Almerium got bigger.

From her place, Sheena felt a strange energy being released in the air. Detecting the source of it, she turned to see Lloyd, defending from a hammer blow of the Master of Weapons, and saw a hole at the back of the Almerium and energy seeping from it, probably the energy that maintained the armor alive.

The grand summoner called Efreet, when the Master of Weapons called the two other armors back with a gesture again, and pointed to the magical monster. Efreet also detected the energy seeping out of the Almerium and nodded. The flaming entity said to Lloyd and Sheena to distract the two Dragon Armors while he took care of the commander.

The female ninja and the Eternal Swordsman went to the attack as the three monsters prepared another strategy. The Almerium sent the two armors to attack them and hit the floor with his two weapons creating a wave in the ground. Lloyd and Sheena realized the strategy and jumped above the two attacking armors. The red clad warrior showed his wings and maintained himself in the air, Sheena landed at the point of the armor's sword, surprising even Lloyd.

The female ninja ran at the sword, enchanting her cards with the power of water, and attacked the armor with Pyre Seal, before it could defend. Concentrating in produce a similar power to the one Undine used to rust the armor of the elemental shadow back in the Lightning Temple. The grand summoner achieved to make the part of the helm where she landed the blow got a slight, brow tone.

While Lloyd took care of the other armor, Efreet floated to the Almerium and punched it. The living armor was pushed back, at defensive stance. The spirit of the fire breathed flames on the armor and the attack slipped through the hard, golden metal, not making any apparent damage. The Master of Weapons brought the hand with his club to his back. The glow came from his back again and the magical monster brought the hand back, with a double-edged sword on his grip.

Almerium started to spun the weapon like it was a propeller, repelling the fire with the winds produced. The living armor slowly approached to Efreet and when was at attacking range, swung his war hammer at the red giant. Efreet dodged the attack and circulated the armor, breathing fire on the magical monster again.

Sheena, who jumped backwards to avoid another blow of the Dragon Armor, which was getting rust, little by little, as she attacked it with her cards, saw Efreet attacking the Almerium and the metal monster repelling the attack. The female ninja got confused at why the fierce guardian was attacking the golden armor like that when the attack obviously wasn't making any damage. Then she saw the flames that went to the back of the Master of Weapons entering the armor through the hole Lloyd's Flameberg made. The strategy of the guardian entity turned clear to the grand summoner. Efreet was manipulating the flames to enter inside the armor and accumulate there.

After the Master of Weapons tried to slash at Efreet again and the spirit of the fire breathed fire on it again, manipulating the flames to enter in the armor, a light, orange glow could be seen inside the visor and the hole in the Almerium. The fierce entity smirked as he charged a spell. Lloyd and Sheena held the blades of their opponents with their own weapons and turn and see Efreet preparing to cast.

"Burn to ashes. Explosion!", the red giant pronounced. Sheena and Lloyd saw flames circulating the Almerium and entering the gaps of the armor. Red lights shot from the Master of Weapons as it started to shake violently.

"He used the fire inside the armor to cast the spell.", Sheena exclaimed.

When the tone of the lights got stronger, the Almerium exploded, inside out, pieces flying to everywhere, burning and melting. The helm flew, hit the ceiling, cracking, and fell. Sheena felt great energy charges being burnt by the spell and some dissipating in the air.

The two Dragon Armors looked to their defeated commandant, they seemed confused at what to do now. The Eternal Swordsman and the grand summoner took the moment and started to attack the armors with all their strengths. Lloyd hit the armor with his strongest attacks, crumpling all the front of the metal monster and sending it flying to the wall. The armor hit the wall with a strong impact and fell to pieces.

Sheena also landed several blows on her opponent, making almost the entire Dragon Armor to rust. She started to kick and punch the rusted parts, using all her might. Soon the armor broke apart and its pieces fell to the ground.

When the three battle companions looked to each other, asking if they were alright, the iron door at their side opened. The other spirits, Presea and Colette came out, companied by Raine. Lloyd and Sheena greeted their missing companion.

"One less, five more to go." Celsius said and looked to Lloyd and Sheena. "So, are you two alright? Didn't get any burn, did you?"

- - - - -

Genis looked around the place he was, it seemed some kind of round garden at open sky. The little half-elf could see the storm clouds above and the lightnings falling. There was none living plant around, just withered threes and some weeds. Balconies with tall steps, which served as benches were at the top of the walls and some kind of sky balcony was at his front, with a roof stone covering it, while the rest was covered by some kind or canvas. The local seemed some of like the Coliseum of Meltokio.

The young warlock didn't remember of had arrived in such place. He then noticed that Raine and the others weren't around. Deciding to leave that place, Genis went to a nearby arch of the garden, but when he approached he saw it had iron bars blocking it.

_Hu. No problem, just a Freeze Lancer spell and..._, the young warlock thought, taking his Kendama, but when he tried to concentrate he found that something was blocking his concentration. He tried again, but he didn't have. _What the...?_, Genis then looked to his weapon and almost jumped when he found it was the cursed Kendama Disaster._ But... I didn't remember of get it. What's going on?_

The sound of a rusty, metal door opening reached Genis' hears. When the magician boy turned, he found one arch had opened its bars and a creature was coming from under it. The blood of the young warlock froze when he saw a Phantom Knight, with its empty spaces, where the eyes should be, looking to him.

Genis immediately tried to cast a non-elemental spell, but he couldn't concentrate, it was like something was cutting his line of thought when he tried to cast a spell. The boy looked to his hand and thought that could be some kind of effect from the cursed item in his hand. He tried to let the weapon go, but he found that he couldn't open his fist.

Genis tried again, but it was like his fingers were glued around the Kendama's handle. The demon advanced and tried to cut Genis at the half, but the little half-elf jumped away and rolled in the ground, trying to scape from the long blade. The young warlock started to run from his demonic opponent, but the creature went after him.

Again the Phantom Knight swung his blade and this time achieved to cut Genis' back, but it was just a scratch. The young warlock fell and he heard a voice, coming from above:

"Now you'll die like the pathetic wretched you are.", Genis' eyes widened and he jolted his head up. At the sky balcony was the figure of the former Pope of Martel Church.

"It can't be... no. You must be an illusion.", Genis murmured.

"Illusion? Ha, and I thought you couldn't be more pathetic. You half-elves are so stupid.", the Pope said.

Genis then heard steps behind him and turned in time to see the Phantom Knight coming. He jumped aside again, achieving to not be cleaved by the long sword. The young warlock again tried to cast a spell, but again his concentration was blocked by something. The demon's mount opened its mouth, launching an energy sphere. The little magician ran, avoiding the projectiles.

The Pope still taunting and insulting Genis, who tried to pay no attention to it, but the taunts seemed to get louder. The little half-elf then tripped again and while he stood another familiar voice sounded:

"Huhu. Just look to you now: crawling and kissing the floor like a filthy dog.", Genis looked to one of the step-benches and there he saw Mithos. "Serves you right, traitor. Someone like you, who renegades your own race by siding with these humans, could only end this way."

"Traitor...?", Genis murmured.

"Then, this explains why you were forgot by your suppose friends.", another voice spoke. At another bench, opposite to Yggdrasil, was the Mayor of Iselia. "Traitors are pathetic people, just as you are, and bring trouble and problems to those around them, just like you brought to Iselia. Nobody in his perfect sense would accept you."

The voices of the figures of Genis' past started all to speak at the same time. The little half-elf tried to cover his ears to stop the voices, but they started to sound stronger. He felt the demon approaching again and, before could avoid, the young warlock was hit again by the blade of the monster, making him to go to the ground again.

Genis rolled to face his opponent and saw the Phantom Knight preparing to deliver the fatal blow. In an automatic gesture Genis brought the Kendama in his hand to his front and blocked the attack. The demon tried to push the blade further and it was almost touching Genis' face.

_I... I can't die. I don't want to die !_, Genis thought, desperate.

_Then let the power of darkness help you._, a cold, piercing voice sounded in Genis' mind.

"Power... of darkness...", Genis repeated as he felt strange thoughts invading his mind and his concentration returned. The little magician let that knowledge flow through him and his eyes shone with a dark-red gleam. "Bloody Lance."

Swords made of darkness shot from dark lights, forming a magic circle under the Phantom Knight. The demon backed away when he was hit by the magical attack. Genis stood, his eyes returning to its normal blue color while he just tried to realize what he had made.

The young warlock never had used darkness magic before, it was out of his elemental affinity. But again, he had heard the elves always saw with bad eyes dark spell casters, even if they were of their own race. So, many elves with control over darkness magic hid that affinity and never used that element again. Even his sister never showed any interest in taught to him that field of elemental magic. So, how could he have casted that spell if he hadn't any knowledge in manipulation of darkness mana?

Genis then looked to the weapon in his hand. It could only have something to do with Disaster. The young warlock sensed a great charge of dark energy concentrating at his right. When he looked, he saw Nebilim's shadow igniting, with a grin in its face.

"That was a good spell.", Nebilim said, with his mouth showing fire even inside his dark figure. "But you know you can do better than that."

"You! You trapped me here, let me go!", Genis demanded, drawing a laugh from Nebilim.

The Phantom Knight then recovered and started to advance once more. Genis saw that and ran away of the demon again, Nebilim floating at his side, with a big grin in his face.

"You know how you can defeat him.", Nebilim sang-song.

"He's immune to elemental magic.", Genis replied, like what the wraith was suggesting was an absurd thing.

"True... but there's a way to break his immunity to elemental magic. I know it, it's just you let me help you..."

"No!", Genis shouted at the burning spirit.

The mounted monster attacked Genis again, who avoided the attack. The dragon mount of the Phantom Knight launched another energy sphere at Genis, who was too slow this time and got hit. Other spheres were thrown and the young warlock soon was on his knees again.

"C'mon, do you think somebody will help a traitor of its own race like you? Do you think you can even be someone in your life?", Nebilim asked as Genis tried to ignore him, but the piercing, venous tone of the spirit was sufficient to make his words enter in anybody mind. "Please. Who do you think you are, Vallor? He was a true half-elf. You... you're just a brat, a child. What can a child do to receive respect when he betrayed his race by staying with humans, the same humans who despised and mistreated your race? I'm not a half-elf, but I recognize a traitor when I see one.

"In the end, you got rejected by everybody. Your brethren betrayed you because you sided with the humans. And even the humans rejected you. Just like that little girl, Presea, who you liked."

The mention of the pink haired girl by Nebilim's voice made Genis' blood boil. The young warlock immediately stood and swung the spiked ball of Disaster at Nebilim, who just stopped the object in the air with his raised hand and sent it back to Genis' face with a motion of the same hand. The ball hit the little magician's face, making the boy to feel stings on his cheek.

"Oh, sorry. Sometimes I forgot of my own power, but why are you so angry. I'm just speaking the truth, am I not?", Nebilim asked in a tone of someone teaching to a five years old child. His voice then gained a cruel tone in the next words. "Just because half-elves are starting to be accepted that doesn't mean you'll be accepted, couldn't you see it yet? Nobody wants you, nobody will rescue you and nobody _loves _you!"

Genis didn't want to hear that. He didn't want to believe. Feelings came to him from the time he discovered the truth about Mithos and Merilius. His only half-elven friends and they betrayed him just because... just because he was with humans?

_"Humans and half-elves friends? You're lying."_

Genis remembered of what Mithos said the first time they encountered. Then there were the comments of Exire's people and the half-elven researchers of Sybak. Was that so wrong he befriend with humans? Did that make him a rejected between the rejected?

"You know that's truth.", Mithos said from his seat. That illusion was reading Genis' thoughts. "Because of your actions you will never be accepted by anyone. It's as Nebilim said, even that girl you loved rejected you."

"No... she didn't rejected me because of this. It was...", Genis tried to argue, but the Pope interrupted.

"What? Then you really believed in that talk about recover her feelings and need a time. That was just an excuse for her to be gentle with you, something I think wasn't necessary with someone like you. She's from my birthplace, Ozette, did you forget? Everybody in Ozette hates half-elves. Do you think she would be an exception?"

The ghosts of Genis' past started to threw more theories about the real motive for Presea to reject him. Genis didn't want to hear any of them, he couldn't. He knew what Presea told was true and believe in that voices would be a great mistake, he knew that.

The little magician was so occupied, trying to get those voices away of his thoughts, that he didn't noticed the Phantom Knight approaching again. Genis just noticed the monster's presence when it was ready to cleave him. By instinct, Genis searched for the only thing that could help him in that moment: the power of the darkness.

Eyes gleaming dark-red, Genis heard Nebilim in his mind, saying for him to repeat the words he would taught. The young warlock did as he was told and spoke in ancient elven an enchantment he couldn't comprehend, until he pronounced the name of the spell, in a tone that resembled Nebilim's:

"Shadow Ball!"

The magic, dark sphere shot to the demon and enveloped it. Genis heard Nebilim advising him to concentrate in extract the monster's vital energy, since demons almost didn't have any mana in their bodies and weren't sustained by that. The little half-elf again obeyed, feeling his magic drain the life of his hapless opponent while it tried to release from the blanket of darkness that was enveloping it

_It feels... good to kill.... to discount my unhappiness on him._, Genis thought, an smile forming in his lips, an evil one. Then the magician realized what he was just doing. _Wait! This is not right! I don't want this power!_

As the red gleam disappeared from Genis' eyes, the link with the spell was broken, but the dragon of the Phantom Knight had already been killed by the magic. The demon stood, sword still in hand, showing he would still fight with Genis at all cost.

"Hu, it seems the message didn't get in your head yet...", Nebilim sighed. "The only way for you to survive, is turning into my first apprentice."

"Apprentice?", Genis questioned. The young warlock then remembered what Nebilim had just said about the elves. "This is how you plan to teach the elven children?! What are you, a monster?!"

"Power is life, my friend, and just the most powerful survive. It's the law of the life. Then why don't you simply let the power flow in your body and bath in its glory? You don't have anything left anyway."

Running by another corridor, the heroes started to feel the wind, they should be near an open window. Origin stopped in his place and looked to another door, with a thoughtful expression.

Sheena and Luna noticed that and asked what the great king was sensing. Origin then answered in a tone, at the same time, worried and analytic:

"I sense another of your friends nearby, but... his mana... it's getting corrupted."

"What?", Raine asked. Was something like that even possible?

Lloyd then opened the door and made signal for them to enter. The group found themselves in a covered section which connected to a garden. There were bars at their front, separating them from the garden. At the center of the weeded ground was Genis, fighting and running from a dismounted Phantom Knight.

Raine almost choke as the rest of the group struck in their place, watching as Genis tried to avoid the attacks of the demon's long sword. The older sibling started to imagine why Genis wasn't using any spell, since the little magician had some non-elemental spells in his repertoire. Then the half-elven teacher saw what weapon the young warlock had in his hands. It was Disaster.

The group also noticed Nebilim's flaming figure at the side of the little half-elf, taunting him and trying to convince the magician to use darkness magic. Maxwell and Luna gasped at hearing that while Origin and Shadow got serious expressions on their faces. Raine asked what Nebilim was trying to do with her brother.

Sheena's necklace started to glow and Vallor appeared, his face as serious as Origin's and Shadow's face. The ancient hero spoke:

"He's forcing him to surrender to the darkness inside his heart. I already saw many cases of people with their hearts so full of darkness that they practically turned into empty shells. Nebilim believed that a warrior shouldn't have any feeling in battle, that he should just concentrate in accomplish his mission and kill his adversaries. Because of that he sought to enlist people when they still young and forced them to let their darkness to surface, using it to turn these children into killing machines devoid of emotions."

"Just like Cruxis' angels...", Presea murmured while she looked with wide eyes Genis battling to survive the attacks of the Phantom Knight.

"There's one spell that can defeat him with ease. You already saw it, remember? Dark Judgment. I taught it to Kermish and I'm certain you can also learn it without problem. It's just you let the power of your darkness flow into you and I'll pass the knowledge you need to cast. Otherwise, you'll die right now, alone and abandoned.", Nebilim's shadow said.

The group then heard the voices of shadows of their past. Lloyd and the others could identify the voice of the former Pope of Martel Church, the former Mayor of Iselia and Mithos. All the voices cheered Nebilim's words up and the group could hear Yggdrasil saying something about the young warlock being a traitor to his race.

Before the group could think further, Raine got tired of wait and tried to smash the bars with her staff, but a violet barrier defended the female researcher's attack. The half-elven woman's staff broke with the impact, but she didn't give up. Raine started to attack the barrier with light magic.

Lloyd and the others also attacked the barrier, but this one seemed more resistant than the last. Presea was the one that hit stronger the defense around the bars. Her face showed pure determination and a tint of anger. She wouldn't let Nebilim use Genis and turn him into an empty shell as he tried to do with her.

The Phantom Knight again slashed at Genis, this time making a gash on his left arm. Blood started to paint the shoulder of Genis' shirt while the half-elf boy looked to the monster. The only type of magic he could use in that moment was darkness and that would open a door for Nebilim to control him. None of his friends were around and he could be killed if he didn't do something.

The young warlock then tried to swing the spiked ball of Disaster at the monster, but the Phantom Knight easily caught the ball and pulled Genis closer by the thread that connected the handler of the cursed weapon with the spiked projectile. The little magician tried to pull back, but the demon was stronger than him.

"Well, that's a pity. You had great potential, but I recognize a lost case when I see one. This is, if you continue to insist in not accept my help.", Nebilim taunted again, his tone full of venom in the last phrase.

Genis didn't want to accept that. He knew it wouldn't have turn back once he let that "power of darkness" enter on him, but he felt he would die if he didn't allow that. The instinct of survival started to speak louder and the young warlock felt his being drowning into desperation as an inner voice spoke so loud that he didn't have choice, but listen. It said for him to accept the gift the Dark Lord wanted to give him.

Genis' eye color started to slightly change to red again as the little half-elf tried to fight back with the power that was rushing inside him, threatening to take even his heart. That urge of give himself to that power, however, was too much strong. The young warlock knelled and closed his eyes, trying to resist.

"He is... losing... his darkness... taking over...", Shadow hissed in a tone of urgency, as he shaped his hand into an ax edge and started to beat the barrier.

"No way.", Presea said, again beating the barrier with all her strength, but this time she maintained the weapon on the violet, magic shield and started to press it with all her might.

Sheena and Colette stopped when they saw sparks and lightning flying around Presea and hitting her arms and forehead, making thin cuts. Although the wounds weren't serious, the pink haired girl felt like she was being hit by whips, but she didn't falter.

Cracks started to appear where Presea's ax was pressing the barrier and started to get bigger. The female lumberjack then brought her hand to the barrier and broke it, reaching one of the iron bars behind it. With a cry, the ax wielder pressed more and the hole in the barrier enlarged, letting the girl to quickly push the bar away, breaking it, and jump inside the garden. Lloyd and the others tried to follow, but the barrier closed behind Presea.

The young ax wielder panted and soon stood, looking to Genis, who seemed to be struggling against something inside him. She could easily guess what was happening to her dear friend and saw the Phantom Knight approaching. Running to the trio at the center of the garden/arena Presea let out another cry, as she lifted her ax above her head.

The demon looked to his side at time to see Presea bring her ax down, cleaving the monster in two. As the parts fell, the girl turned to Genis, who looked up when sensed some movement and heard something falling in the ground. The young warlock widened his eyes at seeing the pink haired girl there.

"Genis... I'm here to save you. Don't worry, nobody will hurt you anymore.", Presea said, trying to recover her breath.

The young warlock seemed relieved to see her. His eyes flickered for a moment back to its normal, blue color. Nebilim grid his teeth and shot to Presea, grabbing the girl by her throat and lifting her. In the impulse of release herself, the ax wielder let her ax go and tried to take Nebilim's hand away of her, but she got burn when she touched the wraith.

The burning shadow then stretched his free hand and pointed to his left. Lloyd and the others didn't have time to react when the barrier before the bars came over them and pushed the group to the wall, pressing them hard against the cold stone. The spirits dissipated in a swirl of mana, but their presence still with the group.

"I really tried to ignore you, but you're turning into an annoying interference!", Nebilim said. Genis tried to stand to defend his friends, but Nebilim looked to him and the half-elf felt that same strange urge to take the power of darkness return, stronger than before. "And you, get to your place! You're mine now."

He could feel something letting that power enter in his heart. He didn't know if it was his darkness helping Nebilim, or the dark spirit doing this by himself. Either way, he could feel like something was taking control over him.

Presea saw Genis knelling and clutching his belly, like he was suffering from a great pain. Nebilim was holding her tight, almost closing her throat with that strong grip, but she wouldn't let that wraith win. Even if it meant her death, she would release her friend from the control of that damned spirit.

"Genis... don't let him to do this with you... please... if not for you, for me then... you can't let he take your heart...", Presea said, trying her best to speak while tried to release from that wraith's grip.

"Why should you hear her? Is it because she's a human, or is it because she's the one that you liked? Either way she rejected you and abandoned you, like the humans make with all of our race.", Mithos' ghost said, being supported by the Pope and the mayor.

"I... never... rejected you...", Presea replied, trying to speak above the protests of the other three illusions. "I never abandoned you... I just said that... because I couldn't even know... what I really felt for you... I needed time to think..."

Nebilim ordered to Presea shut up, but the girl didn't obey. She was decided to release Genis from his control at all cost. That little magician didn't deserve to suffer in the hands of that twisted elf's shadow, nobody deserved that kind of destiny.

The Pope's shadow then spoke against the girl once more:

"Will you really buy this lie? That's ridiculous!"

"Think attentively Genis... if I really wanted to abandon and reject... you... what would be the point... in lying about this?"

She was right. The young warlock smiled inside, by recognizing the logical line of thought of his Presea. He knew her and he knew she would never lose her time lying to him if she really didn't want him, it was completely out of herself to do something like that.

The same voice that said for him to accept the power that was trying to take him again spoke, saying he shouldn't believe.

_Why?_, Genis asked to himself._ She never spoke anything to make me suspect about what she says and I... I know she really needed a time to think._

Energies started to come out of Genis' body and he felt the pressure over his heart and his being was being lifted. Nebilim also noticed and shook Presea, shouting for her to shut up again, with threats.

Ignoring the Dark Lord's menaces again, Presea continued:

"I needed time... to think... and I already had it... You're one of the... most important people in my life, Genis... if not the most important... I want to be with you... I felt for you something that I never felt for anybody..."

In an almost desperate act, Nebilim threw Presea in the ground and put his foot on her head. The order now came with a tone of anger that mixed with the venous one of the Dark Lord, making it sound full of hate. The burning spirit started to sound like some type of vicious demon, but that didn't intimidate Presea.

"I... I like you Genis... I like you in a way I don't have words... to describe..."

Genis then found strengths to smile. Presea liked him in a way she never liked anybody more. He knew what that meant and he knew he had to save her from that twisted spirit. He couldn't let her down and give himself to that darkness.

With renewed strength, Genis stood and more energy came out of his body as he crossed his arms and quickly put them to his side, expelling all the corrosive power inside him. His eyes turned back to its blue color and he felt some of weak.

"You little impudent... you project of a wore...", Nebilim cursed Presea, lifting his hand and concentrating darkness mana in his hand with some other energies Genis couldn't identify.

The insult alone was sufficient to make the half-elf to get determinate to blast that wraith away, but menacing Presea like that was something he wouldn't tolerate. Genis quickly charged a spell and released it against Nebilim. Air Thrust hit the Dark Lord's shadow dead on, making the energies in his hand to dissipate and lifting him some inches.

Presea took the chance and stood, running away of the vengeful spirit. She found her ax and grab it, going to Genis' side, who was already charging a high level spell. When Nebilim's burning spirit recovered of the attack he looked to Genis and its red eyes widened once he felt the power building up around the little magician. He tried to again use the weapon to block the young warlock's concentration, but found that he couldn't. Genis' mind had now some kind of barrier around, sustained by his feelings and his determination.

"Do you want power? I'll show you the power! Tidal wave!"

A giant tsunami formed at the front of Genis. Nebilim was covered by it and his flames extinguished inside the great flood while he tried to stand at his place, covering his face with his arms. The attack seemed charged with some of boy's feelings and he was feeling his power diminishing inside the strong currents.

When the wave passed, the barrier pressing Lloyd and the others broke and the ghosts of Genis' past faded away. Raine was the first to recover her breath and run to her brother, who knelled again, this time of exhaustion. The older woman knelled, took other staff (the one she won at the Coliseum) and started to cure Genis and Presea, who was at the side of her great friend.

Lloyd and the others came, the spirits reappeared at their side, and the Eternal Swordsman noticed Genis let go the cursed weapon he was wielding. Before the young man could do something, Disaster floated away at high speed. Raine and her other two students saw that and companied the weapon with their eyes.

Nebilim's shadow was knelled, but stood once his soul part was near him again. He again ignited and floated some inches above the ground while he looked to the group of heroes. Lloyd, Sheena and Colette went to the front of the group, their weapons at hand and enchanted by their respective elemental techniques.

The projection of the Dark Lord wore a serious expression as he spoke to the group:

"Generations of knowledge and mastery in magic just to end with an elven descendant who refuses this power and ally with humans. At what point the noble blood of the elves had went down with these half-breed's actions? You trade and betray your own race and people by a human girl. If weren't by people like you, I wouldn't have to fight with my own kind..."

Nebilim then disappeared in a swirl of flames and the Devil's Arm started to spun, being involved by dark smoke and disappearing. Lloyd and the others sighed in relief. Another of their friend was saved from Nebilim's grip. But again, it had been by a string...

- - - - -

"Ok, how I ended up here?", Zelos asked to no one in particular while he looked to the room around him.

It seemed some kind of storage for failed experiments or something. Several big, round glasses, with strange mutated creatures inside and green water, were around him, forming a corridor to each door of the room. The scenery was some of disgusting to the red headed Chosen, the monsters inside the tanks had parts of their bodies twisted and changed at ways that it seemed someone had merged parts of other monsters to them.

Zelos went to a door at his front, but he felt something moving behind him. The angel turned, but didn't see anybody. He called for someone, without an answer. The red headed warrior decided he definitely didn't like that place. He turned to the door and again he felt someone move behind. He turned and once more found nothing.

"Ok, this isn't funny. C'mon, show yourself up!", Zelos said, drawing his sword.

"As you wish...", Kermish's voice said, at Zelos' ear. Before the Chosen One could react, he felt something pierce his back.

Zelos went to the ground, feeling an excruciating pain. That pain practically immobilized him, making the Tethe'allan swordsman to twist in the ground. When he tried to roll and place his back at the floor he felt another surge of pain as he felt something in his back. Looking above his shoulder, he found the cursed dagger, Fafnir, embedded on his back.

"Oh. Weapon embedded on your body... it can be a real pain, you know?", Kermish said, knelling at the front of Zelos, looking to the immobilized Chosen One with a big, arrogant grin...


	50. Someone that Brings Pain

I know there may be some mistakes here, but I'm going back to beach again and there I won't have internet for some time, so I'll correct it latter. For now, I'll send it.

* * *

**Chapter 50**

**Someone that Brings Pain**

Zelos tried to stand, but he couldn't even move without feel a great load of pain. It was like every muscle in his body was in flames, because of that dagger on him. He couldn't even swung his sword or got his shield to defend himself. If Kermish wanted a chance to kill him, now he had one.

The ancient Chosen One just looked to Zelos with a grin and an expression of interest. The red headed warrior knew that couldn't mean good thing. He had to find a way to release himself from that torture. Maybe if he removed the cursed dagger, he could make that pain to stop.

Tethe'alla's Chosen One tried to take the Devil's Arm of his back, but when he touched it, he felt like a powerful electrical current ran through all his body, making his muscles to blame loudly.

"I wouldn't do it if I were you... my nephew.", Kermish said, his grin widening.

"Don't call me like this.", Zelos protested, with an angry look.

"Why? C'mon, you certainly should have guessed by now. I was, after all, a Chosen One. So it's logical that we have the same blood.", Kermish said.

"Blood or not blood, I would never see you like part of my family. You're just a psycho guy with a crazy dream of get more power. I have a family and you're not part of it."

Zelos felt a surge of pain as he ended to speak. It seemed the pain had intensified and even his bones were complaining now. The lightest move was sufficient to bring more pain to the red headed angel.

Kermish just observed as Zelos twisted on the ground. The crazed Chosen stood and started to walk around the angel, speaking again:

"Do you know the story of the true Fafnir?"

"What are you talking about, you nut case?", Zelos talked back, feeling more pain.

"They said that the original dagger called Fafnir was made of the bone of a dragon, which had all his band killed by hunters. The dragon died cursing the men that killed his brethren and all his hatred and pain were transferred to the dagger that they made from his bone. With the time, they saw who got wounded by the weapon felt an excruciating pain, which appeared even when they made just a scratch.

"Fafnir turned famous by having the propriety of drive its victims to madness when it got embedded on their bodies. When that happened, the dagger caused this same excruciating pain continuously, without stop. The attacks of pain got even worse when the victim tried to remove the dagger, which just served to intensify the pain. Now imagine Zelos..."

As the ancient Chosen's words were heard by Zelos, he started to see images on his mind. Like was watching a film, Zelos saw and felt all the pain of the said dragon and the victims of that cursed weapon. The red headed warrior never felt a pain like that, even heartbreak seemed little close to that.

Kermish knelled at the side of Zelos. The dark magician used an almost venous and sweet tone in his next sentences:

"Now imagine it, my dear nephew. An entire eternity of pain, driving your brain to the edge of its sanity, with you just wishing for it to stop, for someone to bring an end to your torment."

Zelos tried to ignore Kermish, but discovered that wasn't possible. If he tried to close his ears, then the possessed Chosen's voice echoed in his head. That pain alone was bad, but with Kermish to taunt and speak that things, which Zelos started to think that was Nebilim speaking, was a real torment.

"All the pain that you caused... all the pain that you hid behind your mask of smiles and flirts and this dagger brought it all to surface.", Zelos looked to Kermish, with an expression of surprise. "Yes, we know that you're not what you seem to be. This mask that you wore for many many years, though fit on you, isn't what you really are. But you got so used to wear it that now you can't even take it out.

"You know Zelos, we're some of alike. I also brought pain to people around me and I also had to wear a mask of smiles and superiority in the front of that despicable nobles. Even if you don't want, you can't deny, you brought pain and suffering to people around you with your actions and words. How do you think your friends felt when you betrayed them? How do you think that Children of Light felt when you spoke about her using your sharp tongue?"

Zelos didn't need for Kermish to remember of all his mistakes and all the people he hurt with his actions, his conscience still remembering of him until now about that. Worst than that thoughts of guilt, was the thought that he lost Sheena to Lloyd because of how he acted.

"Well, now it's time for you to feel the same pain of those people you hurt felt.", Kermish said, grabbing Fafnir and inclining it in the back of the Chosen without retrieve it, making Zelos to scream in pain...

- - - - -

Presea asked again if Genis was feeling well, with another affirmative answer from the almost embarrassed half-elf. It had been like that since they exited from the garden (which Vallor told latter was in truth a training ground).

Sheena and Colette found that cute, Raine stayed neutral and the female Summon Spirits just looked and giggled at the young warlock's blushing. The group walked following Origin's instructions and soon the King of the Summon Spirits found another friend of the heroes.

Predicting what could be there, Sheena threw one of her seal cards at the door Origin pointed to. Another barrier appeared and burned the card. The female ninja sighed, she was already getting tired of those barriers.

Shadow said for Sheena to move. The grand summoner stepped aside as the dark entity came fort and analyzed the door. Asking what the spirit of darkness was doing, Sheena got the answer from Volt (with the translation of Raine). Shadow was looking for a weak point in the barrier.

While the group waited, a demon teleported near to them. The heroes turned and drew their weapons. The monster seemed another Arch Demon, but this one had white hair falling from under his skull helm and his skin was red in the arms, back and legs. Instead of a lance, the demon had in his hands a scythe.

Vallor appeared, looking to the creature and chuckling. Lloyd asked what he saw in that demon and the hero of the Forgotten Ages made a comment before answer:

"I was thinking when Nebilim would send one of them... he's not really a demon, he's one of the elite soldiers of Ara Tharu, the Dark Lords.", the explanation drew confused looks from the group.

"I thought that Nebilim was the Dark Lord here.", Lloyd said.

"He is, but in theory, he's the founder of the order and its ruler. He likes to call himself the Grand Dark Lord. Anyway, watch out with him. The Dark Lords are the most cunning knights of Nebilim's army, they were trained personally by Nebilim and some received injections of demon blood. What you're seeing now is just one of the many Dark Lords that relinquished their mortally to turn into these monsters"

The members with elven blood in the group could feel some elven presence in that demon, but it was so little that it could easily pass unnoticed. While the group faced the former living being, Shadow found the weak point in the barrier and launched a blast of darkness on it.

The demon saw Shadow attacking the barrier and touched the floor with the wooden tip of his scythe. Several demons appeared around the group, drawing their weapons and looking very angry by having to come from where they were to battle with the heroes.

"It seems we're getting Nebilim's attention for him to take some of his troops from the land to here.", Undine said.

"You talk like it's a good thing.", Genis commented.

"Zelos...", Shadow said, attracting the group's attention. Raine exclaimed as Shadow pointed to a small hole in the door with bars that gave view to the room inside.

The half-elven teacher stood tiptoe and looked through the window, inside the room she could see Zelos. As Shadow weakened the barrier Raine attacked the same point that the Envoy of the Abyss with Ray. Presea helped the older woman as the rest of the group protected them when the demons advanced. When the barrier finally broke, the sounds of weapons clashing could already be heard in the corridor.

"I'll go and help him, you all take care of the situation here.", Raine said, turning to her friends.

"Raine, it can be dangerous.", Genis spoke after had pushed back some Demons with Indignation.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. If what Vallor and Luna said is true, then Nebilim's magic can't affect me anymore. Besides..."

"Ok, ok. You want to do it because you're his girlfriend, alright.", Genis said, casting another high level spell on another Arch Demon.

Raine gasped when she heard. She knew she couldn't hide that from Genis forever and sooner or later her smart brother would find out, but she was surprised by he already have guessed that and didn't talk with her about that. Knowing him, she was certainly her little brother wouldn't accept that easily.

Lloyd turned from his fight with the demon Dark Lord to blurt a "What?!" to his former teacher, what gave the monster an chance to hit him with a punch. Luna substituted Lloyd and shot a light beam from her staff against the demon, paralyzing it as yellow sparks ran through the changed elf's body, like electrical currents.

"Let me explain quickly: yeah, I suspect about it and when Presea told to me about that necklace just now, I had the confirmation. I still can't believe, though. But by what she told me about the 'lesson' he taught to you and that practically saved you, I think it can't be that bad, but we'll have a talk when it ends.", Genis said, in a serious tone, but at least Raine didn't caught any tint of anger on her brother's voice. She knew Genis could change the role of overprotective brother when he was worried about her, sometimes at the point of try to tell to her what to do.

Thanking her brother by understand, Raine entered in the room, when she heard another explosion that shook the large corridor: Efreet had incinerated two demons with Burst Fall. In the room, the female researcher saw Zelos on the ground, with Fafnir embedded on his back, and Kermish knelled at his side, speaking to him:

"Some like you know that change is practically impossible after all that you've done, so don't you think people will get happier if you simply die?"

"Die... but...", Zelos tried to argue, but his voice was weak. A bad signal.

"C'mon now. They will cry at your burial and one week after they won't even remember that you once existed. It's like this when people don't like you. It was what they did to me, or do you think that if people really liked me, they would have forgot me that easily? Do you think you can live like this? Felling this pain and being tormented by guilt?"

_Guilt and pain? Is that why Zelos is twisting in the ground like this?_, Raine asked to herself. The half-elven teacher realized what should be happening there._ He's using Zelos' regrets to sustain the magic and convince him to choose to die. I have to stop this!_

Kermish felt Raine's presence, when she started to charge a spell. Before he could call for any magic defense, the half-elven archaeologist hit him with Photon. Zelos looked up, hearing the confusion, and wore a surprised face when saw his girlfriend fighting with the dead Chosen.

"You! What are you doing here? I thought that Linch had taken care of you. You simply can't trust these undead to do even a simple thing.", Kermish commented.

"Get away of him or I'll make you to be the one twisting of pain in the ground.", Raine threatened.

"Why should I? I was just having a conversation with my nephew about the mistakes he committed through his life. We both know you simply would never have looked to him the way he acts in the middle of Meltokio.", Raine's silence made Kermish to grin as he continued. "We both know he can't show to you how he really is when he is around the nobles and had to wear his mask. Even when he isn't around them, he can't take this mask off, because he had wore it by so many years that it turned into his real face."

Raine recognized some of that talk, it was what that elemental shadow in the Darkness Temple had spoke to Zelos, when he almost got possessed. It seemed Nebilim now didn't want Zelos anymore and decided to get rid of him, but why?

While Raine tried to solve that, Kermish continued to talk:

"You and your other friends hate his other face, isn't it? His mask of flirts and narcissism. He won't change and you know that. So, why don't you simply let him to die so he won't have to live with the guilt of know that he spoiled your relationship? I'm sure you two would like that."

Their relationship. That was the answer. She had saved herself from them due what Zelos felt for her and the lesson that he taught to her, due what that feeling. Zelos was feeling like that because he had fear of ruin their relationship if he couldn't change his habits. He felt like that because he loved her and didn't want for her to suffer because of him.

Though she was flattered by that, Raine didn't have time to admire those thoughts. Nebilim probably didn't want Zelos because he knew the red headed Chosen wouldn't do something that could hurt her or make her upset. The Dark Lord couldn't control someone with that kind of feeling, so he was trying to eliminate Zelos by using his doubts and fears.

Kermish stretched his hand to Zelos' face and started to charge dark energies. Raine got out of her thoughts and quickly charged the first spell that came to her mind:

"Shining Seal!"

Light runes got tied down to Kermish, interrupting his spell casting. The deranged angel got surprised at seeing Raine could cast a spell from Ishtar family. The half-elven teacher smiled as she saw Kermish's surprise.

"It seems ask to Merilius to teach me this was worth after all. I also found that I can manipulate it as well as him.", the female researcher said. She swung her staff to the right and Kermish felt like something had hit him hard, making he to lose the equilibrium and fall.

Taking the chance, Raine approached to Zelos, who let out another scream of pain. He could feel it getting worse and he didn't know if he could stand it for too much time without got crazy with all that pain.

"Zelos, please react. I don't want you to die, neither do any of your friends.", the half-elven woman said, knelling near to her boyfriend.

"But I do so much bad things to all of you... and all that I said... I'm really an idiot.", the red headed Chosen said, his voice pausing each time another surge of pain come. "Besides, Kermish is right. I... I liked to act that way... I always lived surrounded by people wanting to get some advantage through me... through my title. So I tried to take advantage first and when I looked back and realized the big, bad joke my life turned into... it was too late.

"I get used to act like the easy-going, pervert, irresponsible Chosen One... even when I got to know you and the others... I couldn't take off this mask and show how I really was... It was so more comfortable for me to act like that... so, I didn't have to worry if you didn't like me how I really was... because of that I lost Sheena and I don't even know if I'll be able to make you happy..."

Raine didn't know how to react to that. By one side, Zelos just acted like that because of how difficult the life of the Chosen was and of by he suffered in his childhood. By another, she wanted to recriminate him by don't do anything after realize what way his life took and simply let it run out of his control, even when he got to know people who saw him like a person and not like a title.

"Hu, see it? Why defend him when he's wrong, when he acts like I acted? I, at least, was seeking something that would revolutionize the understanding of the elements. He did this just by selfishness and...", Kermish talked, but Raine shouted for him to shut up and casted another, minor Shining Seal, making a line of runes appear over Kermish's mouth, silencing him.

"There's still time Zelos. I don't have anything against how you act at the front of the nobles, I just don't like the way you act around other women. But you can change it, you can correct yourself. Just because you and Kermish belong to the same family it doesn't mean you're alike. There's great differences between you and yes, you can show how you really is when you want, or do you forgot all the times you saved and helped us?

"Think about it Zelos. At the Tower of Salvation, you just acted like you was betraying us to get the Aionis and saved us from all those traps. You helped us with the King in Meltokio. You also cared for us, trying to lighten the mood around us, even if that meant to make us angry with you to forget what worried us. We always could count on you in important chores and you dedicated yourself in our journey and in convincing the King to abolish all those anti half-elves laws."

As Raine speak, Zelos felt his pain diminish a little. Thinking in all that she was talking, the red headed warrior found she was right. He had worked hard to help Lloyd and the others and after the end of their fight against Yggdrasil he convinced the King to abolish the Pope's racist laws.

"But... even so...", Zelos tried to say, but his girlfriend interrupted.

"But nothing! You can take off this mask you wear at the front of other people and you can change, it's just you want. And about your relationship, I also am not perfect, so it's not just you who worry about things went wrong. But like a friend of yours said, mistakes can be corrected. Just the fact that you are worried about it means that you won't do anything of wrong that you can't correct latter."

"Hu. Sometimes I forget that, aside he being a hopeless idealist, he's right on these things...", Zelos chuckled, feeling the pain diminish more and allowing him to stand. "It seems I again played the dumb, didn't I?", Raine smiled while nodded. If Zelos was already joking like that again, that meant he was recovering. "Man, and I talked to you to not worry so much."

Zelos then stood, his fears and doubts sinking as he repeated mentally Raine's words and one of Lloyd's message. "Mistakes can be corrected"... he had forgot that in his worry of doing anything that could spoil his new relationship with Raine. Of course, he would commit mistakes sometimes, he saw that all the time when Lloyd played the dumb near Sheena. But, if even that violent, hot headed woman could forgive an oblivious idiot as Lloyd, then there wasn't why he doubt that Raine could forgive him if he showed that he really wanted to redeem himself to her.

Standing, Zelos felt his pain vanishing while he reached for Fafnir at his back and prepared to take the weapon out of him. The actual Tethe'allan Chosen looked again to Raine, who still smiling to him, the smile that he found so beautiful. Her eyes showed hope for him and he was decided to anwer that hope.

"I promised you one time and I'll promise again: I'll do everything to make you happy and to see your smile again... my beautiful Professor.", with that last sentence and deciding to abandon his fears once for all, Zelos pulled Fafnir out of his back and threw it away.

Fog-like dark energies came out of Zelos' wound and he felt like something was being extracted from him. When the energies disappeared, the wound closed, like it had never existed.

The half-elven woman hugged Zelos and the red headed warrior returned the gesture. The two stayed like that for some time, until the swordsman angel left her go and moved his face so he could look into her eyes while he spoke:

"Raine... I'm sorry. I'm really the biggest idiot in all over this world. I let that sweet talk guy con me into thinking that you and the others would be happy if I wasn't around anymore. It's just that... I made so many stupid things and spoke so many stupidness... and you're a so incredible woman... I... I...", before Zelos could talk more, Raine put two fingers on his lips, silencing him.

"As I said before: the mere fact that you saw all of your mistakes and is worried about commit more indicates you won't make me unhappy and isn't like Kermish. By thinking like this, you show that you learned with your past mistakes and that make me feel lucky by having someone like you. But yes, you are an idiot."

Zelos again smiled at that last comment. For him that wasn't so bad, for all the men in love acted some like idiots to get their loved one's attention. What truly made the Chosen happy was to hear that Raine felt lucky by he be worried about commit more mistakes and show that he would do everything to not repeat his past ones.

Wearing a sweet expression, Zelos then decided to reply to Raine's last comment in a way that showed he could really learn with his past experiences:

"But I am an idiot that you love, am I not?"

"True. Hum, that was a rather intelligent comment, I thought you would throw another of your flirts or jokes in a moment like this. I see some hope for you again.", the two laugh at that.

"Hey, where does Kermish go?", Zelos asked, seeing the revived man wasn't where Raine had dumped him anymore.

Raine commented the dark magician had probably teleported away after Zelos had released from the spell. Particularly, the female archaeologist wasn't any worried about the deranged Chosen One got away, she just regretted she couldn't teach him a lesson by playing with the feelings of her students, friends and boyfriend.

The half-elf teacher then remembered and told to Zelos that Genis already know about their relationship. The loudmouth Chosen put the hand on his forehead and inclined it backwards, grumbling about what they would do now.

"I have a suggestion...", a voice sounded in the room, making the two adults to search for its source. Raine found it was Fafnir and pointed to the cursed weapon.

The dagger floated upward and black smoke started to come out from the "eye" on the blade. This smoke surrounded the hilt of the dagger, forming a black, gloved hand. Soon an arm started to form and then the rest of the body of a dark, human projection of Zelos. The projection then opened its eyes, which were of a burnt-yellow.

"Why don't you simply throw that brat on a river for him to stop to butt in grow up matters?", the Dark Zelos said, in a voice that seemed to try to be at the same time, seductive and cruel. "I never liked him anyway."

"What are you?", Zelos asked, recovering from the shock of seeing that image of himself.

"He's the projection of your darkness. I already fought against one of mine, you need to win him alone.", Raine explained.

The red headed Chosen looked to his darkness. The smile it had on its face was the same one he wore when he wanted to conquer some woman, the smile that Sheena and Raine didn't like. Something about that dark image of himself was familiar, but he couldn't place his finger to find it.

Dark Zelos' smile widened as he bend and started again to speak:

"What you said is part of the truth, but not all of it. Allow me to decently introduce myself. I'm the true Zelos, the one you first knew in Meltokio. The one that lived all these years being feared by the Royal Family and the church, but I never wanted anything with those old idiots. All that I wanted was to live my life without have to worry about them and anything."

"Ah, I get it.", Zelos said, crossing his arms. "You're that part of me, the one that I used to hide my true feelings and face. I didn't know you were my darkness all this time. You don't seem so.. well... dark."

"Hu, not all the darkness of people's hearts are equal and I could say I'm the most elegant of all.", Zelos' darkness projection said, passing its hand through the hair, like it was trying to comb it.

Although knew that was like he behaved himself for good part of his life, Zelos never stopped to think that those compliments could sound so... not so humble was a good way to put it. The angel gave a sad smile due the irony in that realization.

"Really Zelos, what did hit you in the head to date this dictatorial Professor?", Zelos' darkness spoke, attracting his attention. "Don't you realize what she really wants is to put a leash on us? Really, it was better when you let me to choose our hunnies. If I were you, I would dump her before she gets too much bossing."

"I don't want to control him, I just...", Raine tried to explain, but was interrupted by Dark Zelos.

"What? You just wanted to say how I should behave around other women, how I should act and think. Please, I already dumped people smarter than..."

The projection of Zelos' darkness didn't achieve to complete the phrase, due in that moment he needed to jump aside to avoid a particularly strong Demon Fang attack. The dark image looked back to its complete self, Zelos had his eyes covered by the shadow of his hair and his mouth didn't show any emotion, but the aura around the Chosen One was of anger and determination.

Zelos then showed the deadly serious expression on his gaze. The next words of the angel were carried by anger, but seemed to radiate protection for Raine:

"One thing is you talk about my choices and about how I act, but insult my girl and accuse her of being bossy... Raine may not be perfect, but she just speak about my manners towards other woman cause she doesn't want to lose me for my bad habits. In other words, I won't let you talk about her like this!"

The red headed Chosen One ran at his dark self and started to attack. His movements were full of elegance as always, but they were faster and there was more strength on each attack. Zelos' darkness, thought, defended each blow with the same elegance as its complete self.

The angel tried to use Hell Pyre on his dark side, but it defended and dodged the fire ball. Approaching, Dark Zelos counter attacked with Light Spear, which Zelos defended. The angel swordsman jumped aside when his darkness tried to stab him, using Super Lightning Blade.

Dark Zelos also jumped back, when his true self also tried to thrust his sword on it. The dark image of the angel smiled as he prepared another attack, charging darkness mana on his dagger while he brought the cursed weapon to his back.

"Dark Blades!", as the darkness of the swordsman angel swung its weapon, dark blades appeared in the air and shoot to Zelos.

The red headed Chosen ran, trying to avoid some of the blades, but was caught in the arm by one of it. Zelos felt his mana seeping by his wound and realized it was one of that attacks charged with energies that left a wound you couldn't cure. Deciding to counter, Zelos quickly charged a spell and casted Eruption.

To the angel surprise, the projection of his dark side avoided the lava waves that came by showing wings and flying out of the reach of the spell. Zelos' mouth dropped when he saw his dark side hovering above the ground.

"Did you forget? I'm you, so of course I would have the same powers as you.", Dark Zelos said, flying towards Zelos and attacking him again.

The red headed Chosen had now difficult to defend the blows of his flying opponent, the projection of his darkness circulated him attacked. Deciding to equilibrate the battle, he also showed his wings and brought the battle to the air.

Raine watched from her place her boyfriend fighting against his darkness. Direct attacks and normal tactics seemed to not work on these projections of their darkness. Zelos would need a good strategy to defeat that puppet of the fortress' aura.

Dark Zelos again charged darkness mana in his dagger and used it to make a powerful blow against its complete self. The blow broke Zelos' defense and his dark self took the moment and kicked him in the gut, followed by a thrust attack.

Pushed to the ground, the red headed angel was caught in the throat by his darkness and tossed near one of the tanks. Standing, he realized if he wanted to win he would need another strategy to that fight. Looking to his back he saw the tank with the liquid that contained one of the failed experiments. An idea came to Zelos.

Flying to his shadow, Zelos tried to slash horizontally at it, but the projection of his darkness rolled forward. The Chosen quickly turned and threw his sword, which passed inches above his dark side's head and got embedded in the tank behind, making the glass to crack.

"Ha, you miss. What's up, did your aim dulled after you got hooked?", Dark Zelos taunted, but his complete self smiled, making him to slightly worry about that.

"I wouldn't say it.", Zelos smirked.

Before Dark Zelos could understand that he heard the sound of something cracking behind him. When he turned, the tank's glass broke and its liquid rained upon him, washing the projection of Zelos' darkness.

Zelos hold his nose at smelling the scent of the green water. It smelled like a rotting soup that someone put too much seasoning. Deciding to ignore the awful scent, he started to charge another spell, while his dark side looked to himself, seeming absolutely disgusted at what just happened to his clothes and hair.

"Let's see if it's flammable. Eruption!"

The spell wasn't aimed at Zelos' darkness but at the puddle of the liquid around it. Like the red headed warrior predicted, the liquid caught fire and the flames engulfed his dark side, making it to scream as the flames consumed him.

Dark Zelos ran from the lake of fire around him. The Chosen One of Tethe'alla saw that and flew to behind another tank, near were his darkness started to roll in the ground to put the fire out. Zelos then pushed the great container with all his strength, making it incline at the direction of his opponent.

When the Chosen's dark side stopped to roll he caught the tank near him inclining to his direction. With wide eyes, he tried to stand and fly, but was too much slow and the tank fell over him, breaking and splashing more of its stinky substance around. Dark smoke rose when the tank fell over Dark Zelos and after the green liquid spread again, there wasn't any trace of the dark image of Zelos.

Zelos flew and caught his sword from the floor. The red headed angel then landed near Raine, who hugged him after he sheathed his weapon. Zelos couldn't help, but smile at that. Before the two could do something more, Fafnir flew from under the body of the beast inside the tank and stopped near them.

Nebilim again appeared in a swirl of dark energies. Like in the other times, he wore a serious expression. The flames in Nebilim's figure flickered as he spoke:

"So the one that brings misfortune and hurt to those around him decides to live just to bring more pain and misfortunes for those he loves. People like this deserves to die, for its their words that causes conflicts and wars between different powers, just because they don't know how to control their tongues and actions. If people like you doesn't exist then there wouldn't be anyone fool enough to defy me and order and peace would surely come to this world..."

Nebilim disappeared after that, together with his cursed weapon, leaving Raine and Zelos alone. The red headed Chosen One shivered at the saying of the Dark Lord, but his girlfriend put a hand on his shoulder and said:

"Don't pay attention to what he says. He said something like this when I won my darkness. Now let's go, we have to help the others."


	51. Business and Life

Ok, I know, my chapters' titles are really bad by these times, but I can't find a good name for them. Anyway, I think it's the chapter itself that counts, no?

Just three more chapters before the final fight begins, so hold on!

* * *

**Chapter 51**

**Business and Life**

The demon Dark Lord was thrown back by a powerful punch of Efreet. The other demons around already fell to the group's attack, but not without inflict some scratches and wounds.

The red demon stood and opened his mouth, launching a breath of chaos energies. Efreet had to raise a magical shield against that. When the blast stopped, the Red Giant saw the demon upon him, ready to slash at him, his scythe glowing with demonic energy.

The blow pushed Efreet back, who held his gut, which glowed with a red light as red mana seeped out of him. The blow wasn't enough to destroy him, but it was sufficient to cause the burning entity great discomfort.

Undine made a wave to appear and tried to cover the demon in the water, but the former living being flew upward, avoiding the magic attack. Quickly chanting, the demon Dark Lord used Dark Sphere on the Summon Spirit of the water, who got immobilized as the beast flew to her right after had casted the spell.

The demon brought his scythe to his back, intending to cut the aquatic entity at the half, but before he could do so, someone pronounced the name of a spell and shining, light runes, appeared around him and got tied down to his body, binding him. Unable to fly, the red demon fell to the ground, sliding in the harsh, stone floor and stopping near to someone.

Looking up, the beast saw the figure of a red haired man with a long, sapphire sword on his hand and a grin in his face. The man brought his blade to back, the tip pointed to the demons' face.

"Say 'roasted'. Super Lightning Blade!", Zelos said, thrusting his blade into the left eye of the former elf warrior.

Blood flew and lightning stroke the damaged eye of the beast, which broke the magic shackles on him and stood up, roaring in pain and covering his pierced orb with one hand while swung his scythe at anything he could see with his last eye.

Zelos jumped back, avoiding to be divided in two halves. Genis casted Cyclone to make the demon to stop to attack. The rest of the heroes turned to the great demon who was roaring of pain and anger inside the magical attack.

Before the creature could attack again, Raine looked to her brother, who nodded and smiled, and looked back to the demon, casting Ray. Beams of light burnt the skin of the former living being while Raine and Genis prepared to cast a Unison Attack. When the demon noticed the two preparing the spell, it was too late.

"Prism Stars!", tens of start-shaped, magic projectile shot from all the directions, hitting the demon without pause. When the last star hit its target, the beast fell without utter a sound.

Lloyd and the others cheered Raine and Genis, but the young warlock just shot a serious look to Zelos. Approaching the red headed Chosen One, Genis looked to him dead on the eyes. The others in the group stayed in silence as the two just faced each other.

"So... hum... how are you doing?", Zelos asked with a smile and putting a hand on Genis' shoulder.

The little half-elf looked to the adult man's hand on his shoulder and back to him. Genis spoke in a serious voice:

"Just one thing: if I know that you're making anything to make my sister upset, I'll need a new arm. Understood?", the young magician said, in a threatening tone. The group chuckled and giggled when Zelos' smile turned into a worried one.

"Ok... I'll remember that if someday I think on make her unhappy, but you don't need to worry. I already promised to your sister I'll do everything to make her happy.", the red headed angel said, trying to sound confident.

"Promised? How?", Genis asked, with a devious look.

"Uh? What do you mean?"

"I meant, when did you promised that and at which situation."

Raine discovered what Genis was implying. He wanted to know if Zelos' promise was serious or if it was one of the things he said just to conquer women. The red headed Chosen didn't know how to answer that and when Genis started to ask questions again, the half-elven teacher came to her boyfriend's aid:

"Genis, you don't need to interrogate him. I'm an adult, so we have to agree I'm old enough to know which type of relationship is good for me."

"But sis, did you count how many girls already fell for Zelos' talk? What if he deceived you?", Genis replied, now with a worried expression.

"Hey, I'm on a serious relationship with your sister.", Zelos pronounced.

"Sorry if I won't believe in you... pervert. But I imagine how many families you destroyed with your 'charm'.", Genis commented in a tone some of venous.

Zelos got indignant with that. He never destroyed any family by flirting with their daughter. On the contrary, the own family of the girl tried to shove her to him, hoping to get some status by having a daughter dating the Chosen One.

An argue then started. Zelos defending his honor, Raine saying to her brother that the relationship with Zelos was her matter and Genis trying to prove that the pervert angel wasn't the type of man that would take a serious relationship.

Big drops fell at the back of the head of the rest of the heroes, as they watched the argue between their friends. They knew something like that would happen once Genis discovered about Raine and Zelos' relationship. Trying to calm them down, Lloyd said:

"Guys, let's save the discussions for latter. We still have three people missing here."

The three turned to Lloyd and realized he was right. With sounds of "oh, yeah" and "right", the trio settled down their argue. Origin sighed and made signal for them to follow him.

Maxwell, Undine and Celsius stayed behind, looking to the group and to the three friends who just discussed. Celsius then commented:

"They remind me of when Efreet and I started to date. Remember how you were against it Undine, saying that the incompatibility of our elements could destroy us?"

"Yes and that time you didn't listen to me. You were always the most stubborn of us.", Undine replied.

"What did you say?", Celsius spoke, with a tone of anger which indicated she was about to start another argue.

"And there we go again.", Maxwell said in a tired tone, sighing...

- - - - -

Regal tried to kick the door, but it didn't budge, it was like it was made of a hard metal, instead of wood. After he woke, he found himself in what seemed to be some kind of great room with a great opening that gave view to the stormy skies. The floor continued after the hole and formed two long ways, which ended in points and had what seemed to be two thunder scepters, the same there were in the Temple of Lightning.

The room didn't have any torch to illuminate it, the only light came from the great opening which gave view to the skies. There were some rectangular holes in the walls, bigger enough to ten adult people to fit. From all of that, Regal thought that room should be at one of the castle's towers and should be some kind of aviary.

The president wasn't any afraid of the possible height which that room had, he was used with high places, what made him uneasy was the fact that none living form was at sight, even possible enemies. To make the matters worse, he was afraid his friends could be in trouble. He just remembered of being buried in that pile of books and all went black.

The only sound in the room was Regal's breathing and the howling winds of the fortress. The blue haired warrior didn't like that silence, that solitude. Even in the prison he had some company, like Levin and the other convicts, but here...

"It's truly a silent world, isn't it?", a voice sounded behind Regal, one much alike his.

Turning, the blue haired president saw the greaves Apocalypse floating one feet above the ground. Dark smoke came from behind the greaves, forming what seemed to be black legs. As the smoke formed the rest of an humanoid figure, Regal had already assumed a fight stance.

The dark figure was an exact image of Regal when he was using the shackles, but it had red eyes and a smirk that was some of alike Kermish's one. The dark image of the president spoke, in a heavy, angry tone:

"Just look to us now, forgotten by those who called themselves our friends, like we were some burden. Didn't it remember you about something?"

Regal didn't answer. That should be another of the fortress' traps. He looked to Apocalypse, the cursed greaves should be the source of that spell. But the president then remembered those cursed items were virtually invincible, so he couldn't destroy it.

"It seems you're not paying attention to me. I should expect that, since you didn't hear to me when I said for you to not assume the guilt for Alicia's death. I knew that girl would just mean trouble for us, but you were stubborn enough to don't listen to me."

With that line Regal guessed what type of being that one just was. That was his darkness, the part of him that tried to convince him to give up of Alicia. It always haunted him because of that, saying he would drive Lezareno to the ground if he accepted the demands of Vharley and confessed the murdering of his love.

Seeing the face of its complete self, Regal's darkness smirked, walking around him while spoke:

"Why do you think those insubordinate employees always implied that we never did something of good for the company? It was because we spend precious resources of the company just to save that girl and spent our time in a useless journey. You even destroyed the exphere mine, which gave to us a valuable quantity in money when we offered the expheres to the Imperial Research Academy. Just what kind of president are you?"

"I did what I knew was right. We never needed the expheres to earn a good profit and about Alicia, I would do anything in my reach to save her!", Regal replied.

"Oh. And did you save her when you killed her?", that comment took Regal aback, but he recovered and stayed firm.

Lezareno's owner already faced his darkness for Alicia's death once and now it was trying to revive that same feeling and was even using the responsibility he had for Lezareno. The blue haired president wouldn't let that thing defile his memories of Alicia or try to blame him of abandoning his company.

Regal ran to the projection of his darkness and started to attack with his feet. Dark Regal avoided the blows and when the president of Lezareno tried to hit a upper kick on him, he held the president's leg with his hand. The former convict looked to his dark side with a surprised look.

"Do you think just because you're coward to don't use your hands again I would be?", the projection of the company president's darkness taunted. Grabbing the leg of its true self, the dark image threw Regal to one of the holes in the wall. "When I take control, I'll make some changes in your behavior."

The shackles that bounded together Dark Regal's wrists dissolved into dark smoke and his hands freed. He went to Regal and tried to punch the president, who rolled aside while his darkness hit the wall, breaking it and taking part of it out.

- - - - -

Lloyd and the others were walking in larger corridors than the one they found before. Volt said he felt one lightning striking the ground; the fortress was already arriving in the continent.

Origin pointed to a nearby opening, which gave sight to a bridge that reached one of the towers of the castle. The King of the Summon Spirits said one of their friends was inside that tower.

"That is the Livery of Shadows, where the elemental shadows stay in this castle, but I don't think there is any shadow there. If Nebilim really wants to don't leave any survivor in Meltokio, like he did the last time, he'll need all the troops he can muster and by what I remember, we eliminated good part of the army of elemental shadows here in the past.", Vallor said from his necklace.

"Then let's go.", Lloyd said, running through the bridge.

"Lloyd. Don't go walking around alone.", Sheena warned, running after her boyfriend. The rest of the group sighed and went with them.

Without the group to notice, three flying creatures with sharp talons were approaching the bridge. Sheena felt the presence and spotted the flying creatures. The female ninja widened her eyes at seeing the strange birds were tree-size.

"Lloyd! Watch out!", Sheena shouted to her love. The red clad swordsman stopped and looked to her, Sheena pointed to his left and when he looked he saw the big birds ready to attack him with its talons.

In a blink of eyes, the aerial monsters attacked, taking part of the bridge out. Stones flew as the birds moved away. Sheena shouted Lloyd's name, looking to the birds and trying to see which one of them had her boyfriend in its talons.

The voice of the grand summoner's love sounded, but not distant as she expected. It came from her front:

"Why are you shouting? I'm right here, Sheena.", looking to where the birds had attacked, Sheena saw Lloyd at the other side of the broken bridge. "Do you think I'll let some big birds take me down?", the young man said with a smile on his face.

Sheena sighed. Trying to control her will to shout to Lloyd flew back to her so she could beat him out of the crap by scaring her like that, the female ninja said she would jump to where he was, but Lloyd shook his head, saying the hole was just too big for any of them to jump.

"Then I'll carry the others to you.", Colette offered, showing her wings.

"We don't have time for this.", Lloyd said, looking to his side. The bridge was high enough for him to see above the walls of the floating city. Using his angelic vision, Lloyd saw the green of the main land for the first time in a while. "We're already approaching to land. I'll go alone and rescue whoever is inside the tower. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just wait here."

"Good luck then, Lloyd!", Genis shouted. Lloyd smiled to him and made an affirmative signal with the hand.

The red clad swordsman turned and ran through the rest of the bridge, reaching the wooden door at the final. He tried to open the door to the tower, but was repelled by another barrier.

_Oh man, I forgot this. Now, what I'm going to do?_, Lloyd thought. While the red clad angel tried to think on a solution, he saw the same great birds of before coming from behind the tower again. _These guys again! Ok. If they're searching for fight, then I'll give them one._

Showing his wings, Lloyd waited for the great birds to attack again. When the flying creatures attacked again with its talons, breaking another part of the bridge, the dual swordsman took flight and flew after them.

At the air, Lloyd could see that those things had razor-sharp beaks, yellow, cruel eyes, like the ones of a ferocious dragon, and black feathers, the ones at the final of the wings and the tail were of a polished gray and reflected the light like a sword blade. For Lloyd, those things were probably demon birds.

The Eternal Swordsman couldn't hear the voices of his friends, due the howl of winds, and was thinking if they had returned to inside the castle. Returning his attention to the chase, Lloyd flew quicker after the birds, which were circulating the tower. The dual swordsman took the Material Blades out of their sheaths and prepared to hit the wing of the nearest bird.

Lloyd slashed the wing of the creature using Flameberg. The monstrous bird let out a snarl, attracting its companions attention, and fell from the skies. The other demon birds separated and turned to attack the red clad angel, who stopped midair. The bird at the Eternal Swordsman's left was getting to him quicker.

Seeing the wall behind him, Lloyd grinned and waited for the creature to reach him. At the last second, the angel dove, escaping from the bird's sharp claws, and the flying demon hit the wall behind the boy. The creature left an impression on the stone and fell. Making sure the monster wouldn't recover to pursue him, Lloyd cut the aerial demon's head off.

The last monster came after the young man when he was observing the other that was defeated to fall. Lloyd just noticed when the creature was upon him. He barely avoided the blow of the great creature and got a wound on his right arm. The Eternal Swordsman then flew again, trying to escape from the big bird, who tried to bite him with its sharp beak. While was flying, Lloyd looked to his right and saw a great hole in the surface of the tower, which gave view to a great room (probably the Livery of Shadows that Vallor spoke of) and saw Regal battling against a dark image of him and the blue haired president seemed to be losing.

Lloyd then stopped and looked attentively. He needed to help Regal before he got beat by his darkness. A sound emitted by the raging bird made Lloyd to look back to the demon. Sheathing his weapons, the Eternal Swordsman stayed at his place, waiting for the demon to come.

When the flying monster tried to tear Lloyd apart with its beak, the dual swordsman flew above him and held the feathers in its head, making the great bird to protest while tried to take him out. Lloyd made the creature to turn to the hole in the tower by pulling his feathers to the side, almost ripping them out. The bird obeyed the command without realizing and Lloyd directed him to the nearest wall inside the room.

"It was a good tour, but here's my stop.", Lloyd said, forcing the demon to look up, by again pulling its feathers. The creature didn't saw the wall at its front and hit it, getting its head inside one of the rectangular holes in the wall.

Lloyd jumped from the demon bird, who stayed immobile at his place, probably dead by the collision. The young man saw Regal defending a punch from his dark image and getting hit by a kick in the chest. Another powerful punch send the blue haired fighter to the ground.

The Eternal Swordsman was about to go and defend Regal, but he remembered what Raine said about those projections of their darkness. Just the portrayed person could defeat his dark image. But that doesn't mean he couldn't help him by cheering him up.

"Still don't fighting with your hands. You're a weak Regal Bryant. I'm surprised they didn't put you out of business after that scandal of you being arrested. Even those useless employees could do a strike to get you out, but they're just too much lazy to do so.", Regal's darkness spoke in an angry, serious tone.

"Don't listen to him, Regal!", Lloyd said, approaching his friend, who looked to him once heard his voice.

"Lloyd. What are you...?", Regal asked.

Before Lloyd could arrive, Dark Regal took his complete self by the throat, charged the same powerful energy Regal used in his attacks with hands and attacked him with that energy, sending him away. The company president slided through the ground and Lloyd had to run at another direction to reach him.

"Regal, you have to fight him back.", Lloyd said, knelling near his friend.

"He's too much strong. I can't defend all of his attacks without fight back with my hands. But... if I do this..."

"You don't need your hands to defeat him. You made a promise to never kill using your hands again, you use them just to save people. If you use them now, I'll just make all the lies he said to be true."

Regal looked to his friend and back to his own hands. Before, he never felt the need to use his hands in a fight, even when he was a really dangerous situation. But after he took his shackles out, he started to feel an impulse to use his hands again, in this fight, this impulse was stronger.

Regal thought once about use the shackles again, but if he did that, it would be like he was starting all over again, like he couldn't control himself and all that time he punished himself had worth nothing. In those times, he tried to remember Alicia's last request, for him to stop punishing himself. He remembered that she wouldn't like for him to return to use those shackles just because he felt too much weak to control himself.

The president's darkness crackled its knuckles while was approaching of the two. It spoke again in its angry, heavy tone, this time to Lloyd:

"What do you understand about our business? You don't even know what a president does. This coward didn't do anything of good for Lezareno and just let his personal life to interfere in his responsibilities, so move out of the way!"

"How can you say this about Regal? He did many things of good for his company. I may not know how this manage thing is, but I know that it was Regal's idea to expand Palmacosta and reconstruct all those cities destroyed during our journey. He even helped Zelos to convince the King to meet with Sylvarant's mayors."

"And what so? Nothing of it brought any return to Lezareno, on the contrary, he just spend resources of the company to cleanse his own conscience. Someone like him isn't worthy of being president."

Lloyd didn't know anything about what return that projection of Regal's darkness was speaking of, but he did know all the good things that the blue haired fighter did for the two worlds. If all that Regal did for the world didn't count anything in that matter, then Lloyd didn't know how he could show to the president that his dark side was wrong.

"He didn't even pay the right attention to his duties when he got to know that girl and ran away of his responsibilities when he gave himself up for her murdering.", Dark Regal continued. "He even spent precious resources of Lezareno just to rescue his lover. Do you have any idea of what kind of loss Lezareno could have suffered because of his actions?!"

Regal knelled. He wanted to reply something to his darkness projection by speaking about Alicia in that way, but he couldn't find anything. It was truth that he spent a too much great amount of money to have Alicia back and even handed part of the Toize Valley Mine to Vharley. He knew that take that amount and give away part of the mine could result in a hard blow against Lezareno, but he was blind to that at the time.

Also, after take his position back into the company, Regal also got to know that if wasn't for George to invent some excuse about his absence and if the news of his prison had spread, Lezareno's image could have been utterly destroyed. Nobody would invest on a company whose president was accused of murder. And there was this episode of the sale of the excavation equipments to Kermish, which resulted in the mad Chosen having sufficient resources to find the City of Darkness. If people got to know about that... that he helped that deranged man to revive an ancient terror from an unmemorable age...

Lloyd got worried at seeing Regal lowered his head and don't defend of those accusations. He knew the president was almost giving up to fight against his darkness, but he couldn't let Regal to do that. After all, Regal's company did help many people during and after their journey. If he could make the blue haired fighter to remember that...

Turning to Regal this time, Lloyd spoke to him:

"Regal, just think in all the people that you helped in our journey, in everybody that have faith on you.", the company president looked to the red clad angel. "Do you think George and the workers of your company would have hid about your prison if they didn't respect you? And what about all the times the resources of your company helped us? Just think in all those times you saved us.

"I don't know about these things of profill and all, but do you think any money worths someone's life, Alicia's life? Nobody ever questioned about your dedication to your company and nobody can deny that you did everything thinking about your company's sake. Don't let this creepy shadow deceive you."

Lloyd's words sunk deep into the president. He knew each thing Lloyd said was true and he agreed with the boy that life was above any amount of money, it was something even his masters in martial arts taught to him. And about the times he helped them with the company's resources... he even helped them to save Colette's life from the disease she suffered.

The blue haired president also forgot about the respect George had for him. He could have took over the company if he wanted when Regal was imprisoned, but the vice-president did everything to hold Regal's rightful place in the company. If that wasn't a prove of the respect the employees of his company had for him, then he didn't know what could be.

"Are you going to listen to this idiot boy?", Dark Regal asked, his angry tone with some venom.

"Lloyd may not know anything about finances, but he knows how to recognize someone who cares for his responsibilities and works to help people. My company always worked to expand cities and brings advances to make people's lives better, but you seem to have forget this.", Regal replied.

"Fool. The first compromise a company has is to earn money and keep working. We can't stop it to help each person in need we encounter."

Regal didn't answer to that, he was now concentrating in find a way to defeat his darkness, but he was decided to not use his hands. He would prove to that dark image of himself he could be a good businessman and an altruist person.

The blue haired president knew if he tried to attack his dark side, it would use its hands to counter attack and that could result in more wounds to him. Looking to the celling above, Regal saw it was full of cracks in several points and started to think up in a plan. Looking back to his darkness projection, the wise adult taunted it:

"If you think of yourself as being my superior part, I would like to see if you really can defeat me. I bet you can't even unleash my most powerful technique. Indeed, I doubt something as you would have capacity to do so.", the president smiled mischievously, making his dark image to grid.

"Oh, do you think so? I'll show you!", Dark Regal said, joining his hands and starting to charge energy on it.

Regal ran to his dark side without pay attention to Lloyd, who tried to call him back, saying it was too much dangerous. Dark Regal charged some mana in the energy sphere on his hands. The blue haired president smiled at seeing his darkness preparing a really powerful shot, thinking it could destroy him in one shot.

_Many people who could perform this technique tended to think they could win a battle just by using it, but they forget this attack requires a great amount of energy. If you use mana, it aggravates the tiredness. If the attacked missed, or their opponents found a way to defend it, they could turn the battle at their favor._, Regal thought in what his martial arts master had taught him.

Dark Regal unleashed the powerful attack and its complete self stopped. Knelling and taking impulse, the former convict jumped the higher he could. The beam of energy exploded where he was and the explosion came to him. The projection of Regal's darkness smiled at seeing the explosion engulfing the blue haired president, but it lasted just some seconds, for Regal shot out of the explosion. The dark image caught a glimpse of a green, bubble-like shield around the adult man. He had used Bastion.

The impulse gave by the explosion launched Regal upwards and he reached the celling. At the ground, the president's dark side, looked to him with confusion, panting. When the blue haired president reached the celling, he kicked it with all his strength, making the cracks to get larger. Great pieces of the celling started to fall.

Dark Regal widened his eyes at seeing the big rocks falling above him. He tried to kick and destroy some pieces with his hands and didn't notice Regal coming, standing in the falling rocks. Before it could notice, the dark side of Regal got a strong kick in the gut when Regal jumped from the rock where he was, using it to gain impulse, and was pushed away, to where another big rock was falling. The projection of the blue haired fighter just had time to look to the rock falling over him with wide eyes.

When the great shard of the celling crushed the puppet of the fortress' aura, clouds of dark smoke rose from under the rock. Regal avoided the last falling celling shards and sighed in relief. Lloyd jumped over some wreckages to get to the company president.

"That was amazing! You really showed to him who was the boss.", Lloyd said, grinning as he tapped Regal's shoulder.

"Thanks, but I must admit: for one moment I thought I would be the one crushed.", Regal said with a modest smile.

The rock that crushed Dark Regal shook, attracting the attention of the two friends. The top of the big stone exploded and Apocalypse shot out from it. Nebilim's flaming shadow materialized in the front of his cursed greaves.

Regal stayed a fight stance, but Lloyd made signal for him that Nebilim didn't represent a danger at the moment. The burning spirit spoke:

"Divert from your own business just for the sake of one single person or for others who wouldn't even do the same for you... If you want to have success, be it in commercial business or to make improvements for this world, you need to concentrate on it and dedicate all of your efforts on it without divert from your objective for anything, just then you'll find the success. Does one human life worth everything you worked for? Humans don't know how to return the sacrifices that are made for them...", after that saying, Nebilim disappeared.

"He really doesn't understand.", Regal said, shaking his head. "Did he give up of his own heart to not realize how precious life is?"

"Forget it Regal. Even Origin and Luna think he's a lost case.", Lloyd said. "Now let's get out of here. The others are waiting for us."

Regal nodded and went to the door. When the blue haired president opened it, Lloyd remembered about what just happened in the way he came from. Before the red clad warrior could talk with the older man, Regal opened the door and looked to outside. Turning, the blue haired president questioned:

"Lloyd, shouldn't there be a bridge here?"

* * *

NOTE: I know some of you might know this, but I'll put it anyway: when people like Regal (and by consequence his darkness) talk a company's name, they're talking about everything that involves the company: its business, clients, contracts and workers. Any doubt, PM me or ask in a review.


	52. An Enternity of Pain

**Chapter 52**

**An Eternity of Pain**

"Ok. This may do.", Yuan thought aloud, taking the tube with the explosive substance he had created.

When the blue haired Seraphim had entered in that dark corridor in the library, he didn't realize the trap he had entered into. Then he found himself in that laboratory full of chemical potions and substances.

Yuan was always good in chemistry and biology. He was the one who helped Mithos to develop the program that could identify the different combinations of mana that would result in the uniting of the Chosens' family members with any other companion. He was also the one that had the duty to inspect the project that created Tabatha.

_A life to just bring pain to others..._, a voice sounded in Yuan's head.

The former Seraphim tried to break the door of the laboratory before, but it had a resistant barrier around. The explosive mixture he had made maybe could create a sufficiently powerful impact to break the barrier and the door. Wishing that worked, Yuan threw the tube with the substance.

The explosion created was one that could almost match with Efreet's temper when he got angry, but when the smoke dispersed the door was intact and so did the barrier around it.

"Ok, now I'm out of ideas.", Yuan said, sighing.

"I have one.", a voice behind the angel said. Turning Yuan saw a dark image of himself approaching, with a dark copy of Shallow in its hand. It's eyes were as dark as itself. "You'll just stand there and I'll take a weight out of your head, so you'll be able to think."

The voice remembered much Yuan's arrogant tone, but slightly sharper. The projection of the Seraphim's darkness attacked Yuan and he dodged, almost hitting a stone table behind him full of chemical substances.

"Let me guess, you're another illusion of this fortress. Does everything here works using people's darkness?", Yuan asked in his sarcastic tone. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have any intention of lose to an image of myself."

"Then how about me?", another voice asked, from the other side of a wooden table.

Looking to the source of the voice Yuan saw Mithos in his child form. The Seraphim didn't look any surprised by that. He chuckled at seeing that figure of his past and spoke in his sarcastic tone:

"So, now we'll play that old game 'make me face the ghosts of my past'. Nebilim, don't you have any better trick?", Yuan looked to the celling, like waiting for the Dark Lord's voice answer to him.

"'Ghost'? That is what I represent for you now? I, your brother-in-law? Oh, I get it. You never liked me, didn't you? You wanted all the time a motive to get rid of me.", Mithos said, sounding angry, but Yuan didn't pay any attention to him and turned to his dark image.

Stretching his free hand, the thunder master charged a electrical sphere and shot it in his dark side, which dodged easily, but didn't notice he teleporting closer. Yuan punched his darkness projection with great strength, sending it against one stone table.

Approaching, Yuan swung his saber in great speed, making his shadow to defend in equal speed. Sparks flew everywhere as the two weapons clashed against one another. The former Seraph had a smile in his face as he planned the next move. When he forced his weapon against his dark copy's one, the blue haired angel grab the hand of his dark side and showed his wings.

"Let's take a tour.", Yuan said, taking flight at great speed to don't leave time to his dark self react. Near the celling, Yuan spun in the air and threw his dark side at the ground with great strength.

Dark Yuan hit the ground with a strong bash, making a small crater. Yuan dove behind the projection of his darkness, Shallow blade stretched. The dark self of the Renegade opened its eyes and rolled aside, escaping of being pierced by the powerful thrust.

"You handle him quite well.", a new voice sounded. Near the other door of the laboratory was Kratos. "If you had used half of this determination and strength in taking care of Lloyd, he wouldn't be in so much trouble as he's now."

"Sorry, I don't speak to illusions. And it's not my fault that boy enter in confusions by himself.", Yuan said to the new illusion. He turned to his dark side, which was standing, and was about to attack when a new voice stopped him.

"So, won't you even hear me?", Yuan now gasped when he saw the one who talked. Near the door he tried to break down was Martel. The Martel he knew in the Kharlan War.

Confusion and anger invaded Yuan. Confusion by seeing the ghost of his former wife at his front and anger by seeing that Nebilim was using her memory to get his defenses down.

"Why did you leave me die? Didn't you want for me live? Didn't I love you enough to deserve to be saved by you?", Martel asked, a serious and deceptiveness expression on her face.

"It wasn't what you think. It's just that if you revived, the world would be destroyed. You loved this world above all and...", Yuan stopped.

_Wait. Why am I talking to this illusion? I don't own anything to any of them._, the former Seraphim thought.

Yuan sensed someone approachingto him. Quickly turning, the angel defended a blow from his dark image. Before he could counter attack, Yuan again heard Mithos:

"Why don't you answer Yuan?! Or did you never really love my sister? Did that talk about us being like a second family to you was all lie?"

That line distracted Yuan for sufficient time for his shadow to slash him at the belly and kick him, the attacks however didn't make much damage, due Yuan's resistance and his armor. Mithos again spoke:

"Well, it seems it's true then. I should expect this since you're nothing more than a traitor."

"Shut up! Don't try to deceive me. I never lied when I said I loved Martel.", Yuan replied, those illusions were starting to get on his nerves.

Yuan was surprised that Nebilim knew what he talked to Martel when they married. Maybe he could look into the Renegade leader's mind now that he was inside the Dark Lord's fortress. Bringing up memories about his past days in the Kharlan War seemed something Nebilim would surely try to deceive him, but the blue haired angel was decided to prove the contrary.

Dark Yuan charged his weapon with darkness mana and used a quick sequence of blows. It was the Thunder Slices, but a version which used the element darkness instead of lightning. Yuan defended the first blows, but when Martel's image spoke again he distracted and got hit by three slashes, which sent him backwards.

"If you loved me like as you claim, why you let me die? Why didn't you try to find another way to revive me if my brother's way wasn't good in your view?"

"Shut up, shut up!!!", Yuan shouted, covering his ears. The voices of his former companions started to sound louder now, almost making his ears to pain. "None of you are here and I don't own anything to my past! I did what I should do and that's all!"

Yuan's darkness ran to him and jumped in the air. The former Seraphim jumped backwards in time to avoid the Thunder Explosion that came. When the lightnings stopped to fall, Yuan came forth and prepared to attack before his dark side could react:

"Shock Spin!", the former Seraphim spun in great speed, slashing his darkness projection three times. At the forth spin, he attacked the face of the dark image of himself and, when turned, slashed it down to up, launching Dark Yuan upwards. To end the sequence, Yuan charged a powerful electrical charge in his free hand and shot it in his darkness when it was falling and passed at his front. The charge was so powerful that it blew his dark image away.

"If you had used half of the energy you use to develop these techniques, you wouldn't have failed in protect Lloyd... or Martel.", Kratos' ghost said. Yuan gridded his teeth and threw his saber against Kratos, who jumped aside as the weapon got embedded in the wall, the blue haired angel wasn't standing to hear those accusations anymore. "So, is this what you make to those who speak the truth to you? Now everything makes sense. You knew Mithos' way was the only one to revive Martel, but you didn't love her enough to bring her back, so you ran away and betrayed him."

Yuan knelled, covering his ears and closing his eyes as the images of his three ancient friends shouted at him, accusing the half-elf of being a traitor and an insensible, as he tried to ignore the overwhelming voices, who started to sound in his head now...

- - - - -

After being carried (flying) by the arms and land at the other side of the destroyed bridge, Regal was greeted by his other friends while Sheena hugged her boyfriend, kissed him and slapped him by had survived the demon birds' attack and scared her by running away alone.

Together they followed Origin, who guided them again into the inner part of the castle. The windows disappeared, giving place to the torches to illuminate the path. The group ran as they remembered the fortress should be at the continent now.

The supreme spirit then located the presence of the heroes' friend near another big corridor and pointed to a big double-door. Knowing what should be there, Sheena threw a seal card and it burnt when the barrier repelled it. Origin gaze turned serious and almost angry as he spoke, in an irritated tone:

"I'm already tired of this!", looking to his brethren, Origin sent order to them with the vibrations of his mana. The other spirits nodded.

The Summon Spirits transferred some of their mana to their king while Origin drew his lances and sword. Charging the lent mana on his weapons, the great King slashed the barrier with his sword and lances at the horizontal, all the same time. Then he thrust several times the barrier, making it to violently shine. Charging the mana again and adding some of his own, the King of the Summon Spirits slashed at the vertical with all his weapons.

The barrier cracked, when Origin was thrusting his lances, and broke at the final blow. As the mana left the great King, returning to its respective spirits, Origin sheathed his weapons and looked back to the heroes, who were all mouth agape at the demonstration of power from the supreme spirit.

"I'm sorry.", Origin said, in his normal solemn tone, whit a tint of apology. "I... never liked this place. These demonic energies and this aura unsettle me."

The group let out a small chuck. Regal approached the door and opened it, but before he could open it completely, a clawed, dark hand shut again the door with violence. Looking to his left, Regal saw Kair'Nor returning his look.

"Hello.", the shadow general said, his mask's mouth opening and energy accumulating there.

The blue haired president immediately jumped back and ran as the elemental shadow shot the beam and directed to him. When Regal was with his friends again, Lloyd and Genis came forth, using their protective techniques together with the former convict. The blast of chaos energies hit the barrier and exploded.

The "mouth" of the mask closed again, but Kair already knew the attack hadn't take down his targets. Lloyd, Genis and Regal still in their defensive position as the smoke dispersed. The Summon Spirits tried to go and help them, but several iron balls appeared at their front and drew the face of Bomb Sprouts, exploding.

Turning, the guardian entities saw an army of Almeriums and Dragon Armors. Deciding the army would give to the mortal members of the group more trouble, the Summon Spirits went to attack the living objects, as the rest of the group drew their weapons.

"You already interfered too much on Lord Nebilim's plans. I shall take care of you personally.", Kair'Nor said in his deep voice.

"You never learn, did you, Kair?", Vallor said, materializing from his necklace. "Nebilim will never fulfill his promise to you, elemental shadows. For him, you're just another tool in his search for absolute power. He never cared for you or your people."

"Even so, with him we were closer to have our place in the surface, we own this to him. As long as we stay loyal to Lord Nebilim, we don't have any doubt that someday we will find your rightful place in this world.", the darkness shadow replied. "And anyway, I like his style. He's right about that thing of opposite powers, you know."

Vallor sighed and mumbled something about too much stubbornness, before transform into several balls of light and enter in his necklace again. From there, the ancient hero spoke:

"Attack him with all the light you have. Kair is thought and won't go down easily. Distract him and send someone to that room, for defeat him will take a lot of time."

The group nodded and the battle started. Sheena enchanted the group's weapons with light as they started to attack the shadow, but it avoided the initial blows and countered by shooting a jet of the black matter that formed his body on them. Lloyd and the angels of the group flew and tried to get to him, but the darkness shadow again used his blast of chaos on them, making them to disperse.

Presea used Infinite Destruction to launch rocks at the chaos being and Genis casted Cyclone. The stones were absorbed by Kair'Nor's body without make a single damage, but the magical attack slashed at his body with wind blades. Taking the opportunity, the other members of the group attacked with kicks, slashes, spells and projectiles. When the sequences stopped, the shadow general's body was a full of holes and all twisted.

The mask then turned to the group and the body started to reform, returning to its normal state. A magic circle appeared under Kair and the shadow casted a spell:

"Prison Ground!", darkness started to spread from Kair's body towards the group, by the ground. When the heroes on land tried to back away, the shadow on the ground shoot to them in blinking speed. Tentacles made out of darkness came from the ground and bound them. The shadow in the ground then formed circles around the imprisoned members of the party and shot pillars of dark energy on them.

The heroes hit by the magic knelled. Raine casted a healing spell, but when she prepared to cast another, Kair'Nor came from the ground at her front. Shaping his arms in what seemed to be lances, the elemental shadow hit Raine with a quick sequence of thrusts, in a similar way to Shadow. Before the half-elven teacher could move, the chaos being grab her and threw the older woman in the nearest angel, who was Zelos.

The red haired warrior caught Raine. She was wounded, but not too much due the magical robe she used under her clothes to protection. He then casted a healing spell. While the swordsman angel tried to cure his girlfriend, the others were attacking Kair again, who seemed to not mind that they were beating his body until it got a twisted mess. With a movement of his big hand, the elemental shadow batted away, Presea and Regal.

Sheena launched several seal cards against the shadow general, but he dove in the ground to avoid it and reappeared behind her. Lloyd tried to slash at Kair's back, but to his surprise, a dark tentacle came from the back of the shadow and grabbed him. The grand summoner noticed that and tried to go to Lloyd, but Kair made her back away with a jet of black matter from his body.

The female ninja defended the jet with a fan of her cards, but it was pushing her away. Deciding to try an idea that came to her in that moment, Sheena drew her dagger and removed the fan of her front, using the dagger to divide the jet in two. The family inheritance's blade shone with a golden glow and sent a current of light against Kair which was conducted by the jet and hit the elemental shadow's whole body.

Kair'Nor growled in pain, hands in his mask, as it was in fire, and didn't notice Sheena running to his back and jumping to slash his tentacle, which also conducted another charge of light energies. When recovered, the shadow general saw the group had reunited again, probably to whisper some tactic between them. Then he noticed something was wrong.

_Wait. Where's that angel girl?_, the elemental shadow asked to himself, taking the absence of the light bearer. Then it clicked to him. Turning, Kair'Nor found the door to Ara Tharu's main laboratory open.

"No!", Kair shouted, trying to get to the door.

Several seal cards flew in his front like angry bees, what made he stop, and a cry of Demon Seal made the head of the shadow general be pushed to the front, hitting the door and shutting it again. Turning to the group of heroes, he saw Sheena in the front of the group, dagger in one hand and cards glowing with a yellow light on other.

"Your fight is with us, you masked creep.", the female ninja said, assuming a fight stance as her friends came to her side and the angels in the group took flight again.

Kair then "stood", making his body to stay straight again. The general shadow spoke again in its normal, deep tone with the accent of the elemental shadows:

"Ok. If you want to die first, I'll fulfill your wish.", several tentacles came from the sides of Kair's body and shot to the group like lances...

- - - - -

Colette spotted Yuan holding his saber against another identical, dark one held by a dark image of him. The blond angel saw Kratos, Mithos and Martel shouting at Yuan, who closed his eyes, trying to ignore the voices, but got hit by a sphere of darkness, threw by his shadow.

The former Seraphim was threw aback and Colette ran to him, calling his name. Yuan looked to the angel girl with wide eyes as he stood. Asking what she was doing there, Yuan heard Colette saying she was there to help him.

"The only help this insensible need is to get killed.", Martel's image said. "By everything he did against me and my brother the only thing he deserves is to live forever in pain, knowing all his crimes against his own family."

Yuan grid his teeth and turned to again attack his dark image with ferocity and speed that Colette never saw he use before. It was obvious what Martel's ghost said was affecting the Renegade's leader and he was trying to ignore it by fighting his dark side.

Dark Yuan defended all the blows and held his complete self's weapon at bay. Yuan tried to kick his dark side, but it jumped aside and quickly charged a spell. The blue haired angel thought it couldn't make any serious damage on him, but found he was wrong:

"Geyser Blade!", a white, transparent sword much alike the magical sword of Thunder Blade fell under Yuan, who felt strange energies mixed with lightning. A magic circle appeared around the sword and a great pillar of transparent light rose, draining Yuan's mana and making thin cuts appear over his arms and legs.

When the pillar disappeared, the blue haired thunder master went to his knees, with Mithos and the other shadows of his past cheering. Colette approached to the knelled angel and talked with him:

"Yuan, stop to attack. You need first to think on a strategy."

"But... whenever I heard them... I... I don't want to hear to them... their voices sound inside my head so loud... I think I'm going to get crazy if I still hearing them.", the former Seraphim said. "And I already used some of my best attacks, but it seems it doesn't affect this damn shadow."

Colette looked to Yuan's darkness projection, which was approaching to them. Mithos chuckled at that, saying:

"How is it Yuan, be defeated by yourself? Did it remember you of something? Maybe it remembers you about what you did to us, but I know you don't want to remember of any of us... to remember of your betrayal against my sister."

"Yuan never betrayed Martel. He loved her.", Colette said in Yuan's defense.

"Then ask to him why he never searched for another way to resurrect me. Is this an attitude of someone who loves? Give up of try to find a way to save your loved one?", Martel asked.

Before answer, Colette passed Yuan's arm around her shoulder and showed her wings, flying away at the time Yuan's darkness tried to cleave him. The blond angel landed near the double-door of the laboratory, behind Martel.

"Yuan, why did you give up?", the Chosen One of Sylvarant asked to the former Seraphim, who looked to her, shocked she was doing what that illusion spoke. "Think clearly. If until now you didn't win that image of you dark side, then maybe it's using feelings you have inside you heart. Try to face these feelings and memories. Don't try to hide them or ran away from them as I did."

Yuan thought on Colette's words. He knew Nebilim was a master in using people's secret and hidden feelings against them. Why didn't he notice that before? That dark image should be feeding on those feelings he had tried to forget so long ago.

Tapping inside his heart, Yuan found a strong blockage, a blockage he had put around his heart much time ago. Dark Yuan saw his complete self with closed eyes and taunted:

"What are you doing? Trying to find something inside you. I doubt there's something alive there. Did you forget? Angels are just empty shells and by everything you have done, I doubt the Seraphim are exceptions."

"Yes, you're just a despicable, empty traitor. There's none explanation to what you did to my sister and me.", Mithos said.

The blue haired angel didn't pay attention to those shadow's words. If they were trying to discourage him, it meant he was in the right way to find what was wrong with him. Colette just waited in silence for Yuan to find those feelings he had hid.

Finally breaking the barrier around his heart, the first thing the former Seraphim felt was sorrow and pain, then anger and deception and finally hope. He had hidden those feelings to don't have to remember all the pain of have lost Martel and see Mithos turning into a psychopath with the help of his Cruxis Crystal. It had been easy for him to do that and he never thought he would need to release those feelings again.

Some tears rolled by Yuan's cheek as he remembered of how he loved Martel and how painful was to see she die at his front. The blond angel at his side had an expression of surprise by seeing such demonstration of his feelings, she never saw the blue haired angel drop a single tear.

"I... I loved her... more than anyone I knew... I tried... I thought I could find a way to revive her, but I knew there wasn't... the ways that could be were by doing things Martel would never approve and... she was so tranquil... so serene when she died. It was like she had accepted all the time something like that could happen to her.", Yuan said at the middle of his tears.

"Then you think she didn't want to be revived.", Colette asked in a caring tone, like she was trying to console him.

"No... not if it costs the life of thousands. She held the well being of the world and its people above all... even herself. She refused to do anything that would hurt innocent people and... and she never agreed with what Mithos was doing.", Yuan said, turning to the illusions of his past.

The former Seraph felt something venous was being extracted from his heart as he stood. Everything he tried to forget, all the feelings he had buried inside his heart and blocked... those feelings by much time caused to him such great pain that he even thought he would get crazy if he stayed like that. So, he decided to lock them away in order to stop to feel that pain. Now they were like an antidote to ease that pain which came as the ghosts of his past spoke.

"What are you going to do? Do you think by simply let these feelings surface it'll correct all you did to us?", Kratos' illusion asked.

"Stop to deceive Yuan! He always tried to do what was right, even when it cost his happiness. You don't have the right to blame him. Angel Feathers!", Colette quickly casted the spell and launched three chackrans of light against the illusions, which disappeared once the magic projectiles hit them.

"And you...", Yuan said, pointing to his dark image. "I'll show to you what happens when someone try to use my feelings and memories against me!"

The former Seraphim charge a spell and casted Spark Wave. As the great sphere of electricity electrocuted its target, Yuan teleported to his darkness and used Thunder Slices, Thunder Explosion and a blow which he charged powerful lightning mana on his saber and sent his dark side away, stunning him.

Dark Yuan recovered and tried to cast another spell, but Yuan grabbed a nearby tube, containing a green liquid, and threw against his dark image. The glass broke on the face of the angel's darkness and spilled the liquid over it. Smoke started to rise as the dark side of the Seraphim screamed in pain and held his face, trying to remove the substance.

The leader of the Renegades looked back to the table and realized: the liquids in the tubes should be some kind of acid. Quickly coming up with a strategy, Yuan flew to his dark image and grab it by the collar, which didn't retrieve the acid from his face at time.

The thunder master took flight in high speed and threw Dark Yuan against the celling. Yuan charged and threw several lightning spheres against his darkness and grabbed it again.

"Now go back to where you belong.", the former Seraphim threw his dark side at the stone table with the tubes containing the acids. The table broke when Dark Yuan hit it and the liquids spilled upwards and fell. A puddle former under the broken table and it started to dissolve the stone, with the dark image of Yuan on it.

The darkness of the blue haired angel tried to escape, but his legs had already being consumed by the corrosive substances and its forces had decreased since Yuan discovered it was feeding on his emotions and came in terms with his feelings. Colette and the thunder master observed as his dark side was consume by the acid puddle until just his hand was left. It then exploded in a cloud of dark smoke.

Yuan landed near Colette who hugged him with a great smile on her face. The former Seraphim was some of embarrassed by the girl do that, but didn't speak against it. The blond angel then let him go and looked him in the face as she spoke:

"You did it, Yuan! You won your darkness."

"No, we won it. If it wasn't for you, Colette, I wouldn't even think in look into my heart. I never thought these feelings would someday come back to haunt me... I thought if I locked them in my heart, I would never have to feel the pain of Martel's lose again.", Yuan said. He looked to the side and chuckled. "And this entire time I spoke about your friends, when I was running away of my feelings."

"You don't need to stay thinking like this. Everybody commit mistakes like this. Remember that I also hid some of my feelings and sadness for many years."

"Hu, like father, like daughter...", Yuan murmured, but Colette caught that with her angelic hearing and looked to the former Seraphim, asking what he said. "Uh... nothing."

Yuan looked to the side, but couldn't hide his blushing. Colette didn't understand why the blue haired angel did that and wasn't sure if she had heard right. Before the blond girl could think more about that, Nebilim materialized near the destroyed stone table. The two friends looked to the burning spirit as he spoke:

"A warrior doesn't need feelings... doesn't need a heart. I searched many years for a way to deny the hearts of my soldiers and transform them into the perfect warriors. To make a revolution you don't need compassion... you don't need pity... the only thing necessary is power and courage to do what is necessary. Like you just saw Yuan, if my immortal soldiers and creations had a heart, all they would be good is to live an eternity of pain."

The Dark Lord's shadow then disappeared in a swirl of darkness and fire, leaving Colette and Yuan alone in the room. The leader of the Renegades shot a serious look to where Nebilim had disappeared and sighed, saying:

"Mithos said almost the same thing when I inquired him about the angels..."

- - - - -

The battle against Kair'Nor wasn't any good to the heroes of the worlds. Thanks to Lloyd and Sheena, the group discovered the only way to damage the shadow general was by hitting his mask, but when the Eternal Swordsman and the female ninja started to attack him on the mask, the shadow grabbed them with its tentacles and, before they could release themselves, beat one against another with such strength that the shock made the two went unconscious.

Raine casted a barrier around her knocked down companions when the shadow general let them go, but he turned to the rest of the group and attacked them by opening his metal "mouth" and shotting arrows made of darkness against them. Regal and Presea jumped back, but were hit in the legs and tripped to back. Zelos came in the front of the two and defended the attack using his defensive technique.

An Explosion spell hit Kair'Nor at the back of his head, but didn't seem to make any damage. The elemental shadow turned to Genis, who was charging another spell. The young warlock, however, didn't have time to cast, due his opponent casted another spell quicker than him:

"Elven Seal!", Kair said, stretching his right hand. A magic circle appeared under Genis and a pillar of light shot from it, drawing runes at the hands and head of the little half-elf. It was the same seal Kair's brother had used on Sheena.

The powerful magician still stand after the pillar of light had disappeared and, trembling from the head to the feet, tried to cast another spell, but found he couldn't reunite the necessary mana anymore. In that moment of distraction, Kair had shaped his entire body in a giant version of the chackran Evil Eye, with his mask on the center. The shadow wheel started to roll on its place, scarring the floor, and rolled to Genis, who jumped aside to not be cut and smashed.

The great wheel turned and came to the direction of Presea and Regal, who were being cured by Raine. Zelos flew to the front of the wheel and tried to hold it with his Last Fencer. Sparks flew due the friction of the spikes of the giant, dark chackran against the sapphire sword. The red haired angel pushed the wheel back and took a hand out from his sword, concentrating mana on it.

The adult Chosen One casted flames against the dark wheel, but it didn't seem to do any damage. The wheel then separated into multiple tentacles, which grabbed Zelos' arms and legs and pulled the members to each side, immobilizing the red haired warrior. Kair'Nor's mask then appeared in the middles of several tentacles of darkness, which took the shape of paws, he looked like the spider from of Fern'Zen.

The shadow general brought two sharp paws to his front and slashed at Zelos several times, breaking his armor and making thin lines of blood to spill. Light shone inside the empty eyes of the steel mask and twolaser beams shot from there, hitting the swordsman angel and pushing him to the ground, with two marks big marks of burn on his thorax.

Raine gasped at seeing her love with such serious wounds and went to him, who was trying to stand, but was refrain from doing so by the pain. The female researcher then looked around and tried to think on something. Lloyd and Sheena still out of cold, Presea and Regal couldn't reach the mask without get hit by the long range attacks and magics of Kair'Nor and the Summon Spirits, though had destroyed many Dragon Armors and Master of Weapons, still fighting against the rest of the living armors, which would maintain they occupied by some more time.

"Any final wish?", Kair asked, "walking" near to Raine, looking like an specter of death.

"I have one.", a familiar voice said. A blue blur came in the front of the shadow general and started to slash at his mask with a double-edged saber at great speed, making sparks to appear in the air. At the final Yuan shot a sphere of lightning, which pushed the shadow back. "Stay away of my friends."

Before Kair could spoke, stars fell around him, hitting his body and burning the matter that composed it, but none hit his mask. Another blur came to the front of the elemental shadow, this one white with a tint of golden. The shadow general received several kicks, punches and blows of chackran charged with mana of light on his mask.

Colette ended the sequence with Whirlwill Rush, slightly pushing Kair. The blond angel then grabbed the shadow general by the spikes of his mask while charged more mana of light in her closed, free fist. The light bearer punched Kair'Nor with all her strength, creating a shock wave in the air and making yellow sparks to dance around the mask, as Kair was violently thrown back, disconnecting his main body from the ground. The elemental shadow hit the wall, "spreading" his body on it like a big, black, paint stain.

The mask and the black matter slided in the wall. Kair'Nor then recovered and got erected again, looking to the group who now had Yuan back. Sheena and Lloyd started to wake up and saw the blue haired angel at the front of Raine. They felt new hope at hearing Kair's voice tone with some anger on it:

"What the...? Who just are you?! How could you escape Lord Nebilim's illusions? Your darkness should be strong."

"Yeah, it was... but I was stronger.", Yuan said with a smile in his face.

"And we'll make you pay for attack our friends and try to deceive us.", Colette spoke, landing at Yuan's side with chackrans in hand.

Raine removed the barrier over Lloyd and Sheena when she saw they were conscious again. The two lovers went to the side of their friends as the half-elven teacher casted Revitalize on them. Kair recovered his normal deep tone:

"If you want to play, then let's play... yes, let's see if your light can match against my darkness."


	53. My Place in my Family

Just one... one more chapter and the final battles may begin!

I also have something to ask for all of you, but I'll let that for when I definitely return from the beach. My college's classes are also about to begin and I may manage and answer the reviews in my fic better with a internet connection at my side.

Anyway, good reading! Oh, and please review!

* * *

**Chapter 53**

**My Place in my Family**

"Are you sure about it? It may be dangerous Seles.", Sebastian said, trying to convince Seles.

"If what those Renegades said is true, then they'll need all the help they can.", Zelos' sister replied.

"But Master Zelos left you here for me to take care of you and..."

Seles ignored Sebastian's insistent arguments and still taking the equipments she found. The red haired girl had already wore an armor and found another sword that she could use (the one Zelos had gained in the Coliseum). Since a great troop of Renegades came to the city, news about a flying fortress with a storm around came. To make the matter worse, it was spotted a great army under the shadow of the said building, composed by many monster and some other creatures never seen before.

The guard of the city was in total alert and the royal army was already at Meltokio's gates, preparing to receive the dark army that was coming. Any man who could wield a sword was also called to defend the city from the possibly biggest attack it would suffer since the Kharlan War. The rest of the population had fled to the nearby forest, which had a hidden settlement, built up to cover the population in the case of an attack against the city.

Seles refused to leave. She wouldn't stay with her arms crossed while the home of her brother and possibly the Royal Family was in danger. She could fight, she had proved that many times in the past and she would prove she could be of help as much as Zelos.

Putting the rest of the healing items she found in her magical purse, the Chosen's half-sister turned to Sebastian, who still trying to convince her to go to the shelter. The butler stopped when saw the serious and decided look of his master's sibling. Seles then put a hand on Sebastian's shoulder and said:

"You should go to the refuge. I'll be alright. If Zelos got bugged because of this, don't worry, I'll deal with him. Besides, I can be of help. Did you forget of my little presentation in the Coliseum?", Seles asked with a mischievous smile, much alike her brother's one.

The Wilder's butler sighed, knowing he had made everything he could, but when Seles put a thing on her head, there wasn't anyone who could take it out. He had heard those stories from the Abbey and even from Tokunaga, when he inquired him about the Coliseum's case. At least, the red haired girl had an exphere, so her delicate health wouldn't be a problem.

"Take care Seles.", Sebastian said, sighing in defeat.

Seles smiled a sincere smile and hugged the butler, as he returned the gesture. The young woman then let him go and went to outside. The servant of the Wilders looked to the door where the youngest member of the family had exited and prayed:

_May the spirits help us all..._

- - - - -

"Fear Flow!", Kair'Nor casted the magic against the entire group of heroes. His version was a bigger one, of the size of his body, and caught the entire group.

Lloyd held Colette's and Sheena's hand, the nearest people, and looked to them, saying to they do the same with the others. An human chain was soon formed, as the magic current started to cut them. The group then took one step forward with courage while the shadow general continued with his arms stretched to them.

Kair'Nor tried to launch more power against them, what made the group to stop and slide a little backwards, but they continued to advance, like a wall of pure will and determination. When they were close to the elemental shadow, Sheena took two cards on one hand and threw it to the chaos being's palms. The cards shone, making the magic current to immediately stop.

The shadow general looked to his hands, surprised the female ninja had achieved to stop his magic with that. Before he could think in another magic to use, Colette was at the front of his face and started to attack with her chackrans. Lloyd came following, using Omega Tempest and Twin Tiger Blade, pushing Kair to the floor, where he received some strong sequences of kicks from Regal and blows from Presea's ax, all charged with light mana.

The dark shadow was blown out by Presea's Beast. Recovering, he opened his mask's mouth again and shot the blast of chaos energy and black arrows. The explosion caught Zelos and Genis, who still with his magic sealed, and the arrows hit Raine's right arm. Yuan tried to slash at Kair'Nor with his saber, but the shadow general used his hand as a shield against the blows charged with lightning mana. When the former Seraphim stopped to attack, Kair's hand "opened" and close around him, imprisoning the blue haired angel in a ball of dark matter.

The elemental shadow then beat the ball containing the Seraphim in the ground several times, with strength. Yuan felt the bashes and almost got unconscious. Kair then swung his limb at Lloyd, who was approaching by land, and threw the half-elf hero at the Eternal Swordsman, who was too much slow to catch him and ended up by being hit by Yuan's body, serving as a pillow to soften his fall.

Colette, Sheena and Regal were approaching the shadow again. Noticing that, Kair shaped the matter in the lower part of his body (at the level of the land heroes) into long, plane extensions and made them spun around his body, forming some kind of giant propeller. The two friends in land were caught by the attack and got some gashes. Colette didn't stop, however, and started again to attack the shadow general with punches and kicks, using her light manipulation technique.

A Ray spell, casted by Raine, appeared at the front of the dark shadow's mask and shot light beams against it. However, Kair avoided the magic attack, by putting his mask in a horizontal angle and moving his body in a way the matter of the face wasn't hit. Raine got surprise at the move, but prepared a healing spell to her other companions. Colette tried to attack again, but Kair "dove" at the ground and appeared behind her. Before the blond angel could turn, Kair thrust his clawed hands at her five times, making gashes at the back of the girl, and punched her, making she to kiss the floor.

Raine's healing spell was casted, partially closing the wounds of the group. Lloyd saw that and spoke to his friends that now Kair might be using those dark energies that left wounds which couldn't be easily healed. Taking the opportunity, the shadow general charged another spell, turning to Sheena. Seeing that, Colette quickly flew to her friend, hearing the fierce shadow pronounce Elven Seal.

The magic circle appeared under the grand summoner, but it wasn't her who was hit by the spell. Colette pushed the female ninja out of the circle at the moment the pillar of light rose and the runes were drew in the blond angel's forehead and back of the hands. Colette's wings faded and she fell.

"It wasn't what I had planned, but it'll work notwithstanding.", Kair chuckled.

Colette stood. She couldn't feel the mana around her anymore and knew the battle had ended for her. Kair then came from the ground near her, inclining to her direction in a menacing way. The Chosen's friends saw that and went to help her. The shadow general lightly turned his mask to them. The young light bearer then realized what the dark shadow was planning.

"No! Get way!", Colette warned her friends, but it was too late. When the group was near to Kair, he bent his body and started to reunite a great charge of dark mana and chaos energy.

Part of the group stopped at seeing that, but Yuan just continued to fly to Colette, decided to protect the girl from the elemental shadow. When the levels of accumulated energy around the shadow were already high, he put his hands at his sides and released all the energy in the form of a powerful explosion, which covered a great radius.

Yuan tried to use his protective technique, but the shield immediately broke and sent him and Colette against the wall. The former Seraphim's cape burnt, and his armor was destroyed. The blond angel's cloak was totally destroyed, leaving her white shirt exposed. The young light bearer's boots and pants were charred.

The other heroes got thrown away, some getting their armors destroyer. Sheena was the one that flew the farer. Luna, who shot a light beam from her staff that pierced through one Dragon Armor, felt her younger descendant flying to her direction and turned. The Summon spirit of Light caught the grand summoner in her arms.

"Thanks Luna.", Sheena said, Luna smiled in return.

Kair'Nor appeared from the ground near the other members of the group that weren't so affected by the explosion and grabbed all of them with his tentacles again. The tentacles spun through the dark shadow's body like some kind of Merry-go-round. The ruthless general then pressed the tentacles with the heroes against the wall again, with enough strength to make some cracks on it. He pulled the tentacles back to his body, absorbing the party as well. Making another extension of black matter of his body, with a big ball at the end, Kair beat the floor with it and when he reabsorbed the black matter that formed the artificial limb, he let the heroes, liying in the ground and piled one on another.

"Damn. It doesn't matter how much we beat him, he just continues to fight.", Sheena exclaimed while her friends tried to stand up.

"Kair'Nor was a though foe. Even with the Divine Soul in his possession, Vallor's friends that faced and sealed him needed a great amount of time to fend him down. Shadow told me that Kair was considered a prodigy in his tribe. His control over darkness and Chaos was strong to the standards of the elemental shadows.", Luna spoke.

Kair'Nor casted Prison Ground again and the darkness stretched around him. Vallor's necklace started to glow and the ancient heroes' voice sounded:

"Sheena, use the dagger on the darkness in the ground. The energies of light will be conducted to Kair."

The grand summoner drew her dagger and ran to catch up the veil of shadow in the ground before it reached her friends. Thrusting the inheritance of her family in the dark veil, Sheena saw energies of light and yellow sparks ran through the darkness and reach Kair, who tried to escape, by diving in the ground, but was caught by the sparks and energies, which hit his mask and broke his concentration. The veil of darkness in the ground disappeared.

Another of Raine's Revitalize spell was casted, but the group felt its potency diminishing, the half-elven teacher had already used much of her mana and they had to save the healing items to when they faced Kermish. Yuan was standing and helping Colette, Kair noticed that and prepared to attack them, by shaping his body in its spider form again.

Zelos and Lloyd flew to help their friends. Before Kair'Nor could thrust his sharp paws on the two heroes, the red haired angel used Grave at the front of the shadow general. Some paws were pierced by the pointy, thin stalagmites and others were blocked. Zelos used Super Lightning Blade on the elemental shadow's mask. Sheena, who followed them by the ground, threw her seal cards to Lloyd, who brought his Vorpal Blade to his back and stretched it to the fierce general's direction.

"Falcon Seal!", the two lovers spoke at the same time, as Lloyd flew at high speed to the ruthless shadow, cards circulating him.

Zelos still attacking Kair and defending from the sharp paws, when noticed Lloyd coming at the speed of an arrow. Showing his mischievous smile, Zelos cut the paws that he was holding off with his shield and slashed at others the shadow general tried to attack him with while flew upwards. The red haired angel threw a fire ball at the face of the chaos being.

The fire ball hit the shadow general's face and spread its flames, temporary blinding the elemental shadow, but not doing any damage. He turned his head to Lloyd's direction without know and got hit by the young man's attack. The seals unleashed powerful energies at the shadow before explode and the pressure in the air created by Lloyd's blade served as a drill while he tried to break the defenses around the mask, making sparks to fly in the process.

A crack then appeared when Lloyd's blade touched the steel surface of the mask. Kair grabbed the boy, not minding the seals that attached to his hand and started to explode, and threw the red clad angel away.

Yuan and the others attacked again. Raine casted Shining Seal, but it only tied down Kair's mask and he broke the seal with his hands. The time that he was distracted was enough for Yuan to use his Thunder Slices at him. Presea asked to Zelos threw her, the swordsman angel nodded. The pink haired girl was thrown by her hand at the direction of the shadow general's mask. Transferring all her weight to her ax, the ax wielder pushed the steel mask to the ground with her weapon's blade. Taking the moment, the blue haired angel used Thunder Explosion, thrusting his saber at the chaos being's mask, while his young adult's companion used Mass Destruction.

"Let's get this done.", Yuan said when he jumped out of Kair'Nor's mask, together with Presea. The two then used their Unison Attack, Conducting Soil, at the ruthless general, who achieved to slide away of the weapons that were brought to the ground, but was hit by the following lightnings and stones.

Regal came in and jumped while the shadow general tried to recover from the previous attack, using Shallow Dance to push the mask to the ground again. Lloyd also appeared and the former convict held his hand, taking flight with the dual swordsman. The two looked to each other and nodded. The Eternal Swordsman let his friend go when they reached a considerable height, right above the elemental shadow's head.

Lloyd made his Flameberg unleash its flames and descended after Regal, burning the air around him. The blue haired president pointed his foot to the shadow's head, descending faster and creating a strong pressure in the air around him. Lloyd's sword then reached the level of the former convict's stretched foot, making the air around his foot ignites.

"Phoenix Fall!", the two friends pronounced.

Kair'Nor didn't have time to avoid and was hit by the Unison Attack. The strong kick and the flaming thrust made the shadow's mask's crack get larger, almost reaching its eyes. The two friends jumped away as the elemental shadow screamed in pain with his hands on the mask.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!!!", Kair'Nor spoke, his mask's mouth opening and shooting the chaos blast again, together with jets of dark matter, laser beams from this eyes and dark arrows from his hands.

The attacks and magic projectiles made the heroes to back away, almost to where the Summon Spirits still fighting with the living armors (where Colette and Genis were). Some explosions and arrows hit Raine, Presea and Zelos in the legs. Kair appeared from the ground near them and again started to reunite energies in his body, he would use that explosion again.

Shadow also came from the ground in the front of the party. He was looking to the shadow general and seemed to transmit calm. The Summon Spirit of darkness then charged a spell, as a black circle appeared under him.

"Now you may die for Lord Nebilim!", Kair'Nor said. He was about to release the energy when Shadow casted his magic.

"Energy Well!", a dark hole appeared under the dark shadow, but instead of suck him, it sucked the energies of the explosion at great speed, making the explosion field to shrink until disappear.

Shadow then brought his two hand to the red eye in his metal ornaments, leaving some space between them, and started to form a dark sphere at the front of the eye with a white nucleon. The shadow general saw that and seemed to get desperate. He made several tentacles shot from his body at the dark entity's direction.

Before the tentacles could reach Shadow, Yuan flew to the front of the Summon Spirit and cut the dark limbs. Kair stretched his body, trying to make his face to get to Shadow, but he was stopped again by a Photon spell from Raine.

"Chaos Null!", the guardian of the dark mana pronounced, shooting the dark sphere to Kair'Nor.

The shadow general didn't have time to avoid and the sphere hit the mass of black matter that was his body, making him to scream in pain again as sparks ran through his entire body and opposite energies bombarded his being. The group of heroes looked to the chaos being, the elven members felt like two different energies were separating inside the shadow's body.

The dark sphere then entered Kair's body and the sparks and some other strange energies shot to behind him, forming an identical, big image of the chaos being, which exploded in millions of tiny balls of light. The elemental shadow had to put his hands in the ground to not fall, the black matter that composed his body was disintegrating and converting in a black fog, which fell from his body.

"Destroyed... chaos essence... now... defeat him...", Shadow hissed, looking to the mortal members of the party, who nodded.

"Guys, I have a plan.", Sheena called her friends, who looked to her. "Lloyd, Yuan and Zelos fly and distract him. Regal, can you approach to him and serve as a support for me to jump to reach that mask?", the blue haired fighter nodded. "Ok. Then let's beat this freak!"

The three angels did as they were told and flew to the shadow general, which looked to them. Regal ran to the shadow's side, trying to not be at his sight, and ran to the chaos being.

"Do you think I'm weak just because that babysitter spirit of yours denied my chaos part? My dark powers are enough to take care of wretched such as you!", Kair'Nor said, shooting dark rays against the flying heroes.

The shadow general then noticed someone at his side and turned to see Regal running to him. The elemental shadow shot a jet of black matter against the company president, but he jumped to avoid the attack. Kair transformed his body into a spider-like form again and prepared to impale Regal with his sharp paws.

Sheena then appeared from behind Regal, landing on his shoulder and using it as a support to jump higher, pushing the former convict to the ground and making him to dodge from the sharp, pointed paws that almost transformed him in cheese. Kair didn't have time to react when Sheena jumped to him, surprising Ara Tharu's high general.

The female ninja thrust her dagger in the elemental shadow's mask, making it to enter until the blade wasn't visible. The world seemed to freeze as the shadow general stayed immobile, maybe by the shock of had his head pierced. Quickly ting a seal card around the hilt of her inheritance, Sheena murmured an enchantment that made a great load of light mana concentrate in the dagger, which transferred it into Kair's head.

The chaos being then roared as rays of light shot from his body and yellow sparks ran through his entire being, he could feel the mana of darkness inside him collapse and shock with the light mana entering in his body.

Sheena jumped, making a back flip in the air, and landed meters away of the shadow general. The Summon Spirits ended with the last Almerium and turned to see Nebilim's general letting out a ear-piercing howl.

Kair'Nor then spun in his place and the matter that still in his body was absorbed to the back of his mask. The mask stopped to spin and, with a bright flash, the dark energies that still holding the elemental shadow's being were released in a powerful explosion, but this one wasn't harmful. The heroes shielded their eyes and tried to stand against the winds that formed when the energy was released. Suddenly, the last of the energies around the mask were absorbed in blinking speed and the steel mask instantly rusted. The rune symbols in Colette's and Genis' forehead and hands shone and disappeared in a swirl of light.

The mask then fell, breaking the spikes of its right side, and laid in the ground, seeming now an innocent item. Nobody spoke, with fear that if they let out a single sound the shadow general would materialize back. After what seemed some minutes, Sheena walked to the mask and retrieved her dagger with relative ease. The mask was so rusted that it now seemed to be made of sand.

The group then approached and Vallor appeared. Looking to the mask of his ancient enemy, the hero of the Forgotten Ages said in a serious tone:

"Finally, this monster was destroyed. I can't say I'll miss him... I'm sure the elemental shadows won't suffer from his lost."

Luna approached to her love, standing, and hugged him by his back, she knew how should be hard for him to have to see again the ones that brought so much pain to him when he was alive. Vallor sighed, closed his eyes and held the united hands of the illuminated spirit.

Lloyd and the others decided to let the two some time alone and turned to the other spirits, thinking in their next step. All the members of the group were already rescued, with exception of Merilius.

"He'll be easy to locate.", Maxwell said. "If Luna and Origin work together to locate him, we can find his exact location in this fortress."

While Origin went to Luna to ask her that favor, Lloyd talked with Yuan, greeting him to be back to the group. The former Seraphim smiled and talked to him:

"It's good to be back. Without me, you probably would got beaten down by not knowing how to think up on a strategy.", Lloyd replied the taunt with an "hey!". Colette giggled and talked:

"It's his way to say he's really happy to be back. You heard him when he said he wouldn't let Kair to hurt you."

"Hum, you seem to understand this guy too well, my little angel.", Zelos said. Raine shot a death glare to him, which made the red haired Chosen One immediately correct himself. "Ah, I mean, Colette."

Lloyd and Genis snickered, Regal looked to the side to hide a grin, different from Sheena and Yuan, who murmured something that sounded like "owned". Origin and Luna approached to the group again, they had located Merilius. According to the Summon Spirit of the light and the King of the Summon Spirits, he was in the armory.

"A precise location will surely help in our search.", Regal stated. Vallor approached to the group.

"I know a faster route to there. We're close to that so it may be of use. Just follow me.", the ancient hero said.

The group then followed Vallor through the corridor, which thinned again. They entered in a high room, which seemed to be the size of the room before the hangar in Flanoir Base. There were several balconies and stairs that entered inside the walls and some plant vases, one at each balcony and two big ones at the floor they were.

"This is the Space Tower.", Vallor explained, his voice echoing in the great room. "It's called like this because of the teleporters there are here. They connect all the rooms of the castle, but one can just use them in the other rooms if someone teleport to this room from here first."

The group looked to some spaces that were carved inside the stone of the room, there wasn't anything in them that looked like the teleporters they knew. Maybe these teleporters were a different kind that was activated by something, like a gem or a rune.

The spirit hero pointed to a flight of stairs nearby, signalizing them to follow him. The group then found themselves in some kind of platform, with a staircase that entered the wall and went to up. Embedded in the wall was a gargoyle head and in its mouth was a red crystal ball. Vallor instructed the heroes to reunite in a circle full of runes, drew near the gargoyle head, and said for Lloyd to touch the crystal ball.

The red clad angel did as he was told. The spirits faded, their presences still with the group as the crystal ball and the circle started to shine. In a blink of eyes, Lloyd and the others were teleported to another, smaller room.

The new local was full of cases in the wall and around the ground, guarding all the kind of weapons. The bigger ones were held by nails in the wall. Near a case, with the back to them, was Merilius. The magic swordsman seemed to be checking the case and looked to them as he felt their presences.

"Sheena, Lloyd, everybody. It's good to see you.", Merilius said. The heroes sighed in relieve, aside of being in that place, the Child of the Light seemed well. "It seems you achieved to rescue Lloyd. That's good. I also found something.", saying that, the half-elf took the cursed sword Soul Eater, making shivers ran through the group's spine. "It's good, isn't it? Now I just need to find the others and we can defeat Kermish without any trouble.", the older light bearer turned again to the case, obviously looking for the other Devil's Arms.

Aside of seem some of thrilled to find the other weapons, Merilius seemed alright, it didn't seem that the weapon affected him. Then the older members of the group and Genis thought there was something strange there. If Merilius was alright and wasn't even affected by the Devil's Arm, why haven't he left that room to search for them?

Deciding they could think on that after they left the room and where at the way to the Heart's Chamber, Sheena called for Merilius to come out of that room through the teleporter. The Child of the Light looked to her with a confused look, like the idea didn't sound good to him.

"And let the Devil's Arms behind? No thanks, first I need to find them.", Merilius then turned back to the case to look again.

"But they aren't here.", Presea said, approaching. Merilius immediately looked to the girl, asking what she had just said. "Nebilim used them to try to possess and eliminate Raine, Genis, Regal, Zelos and Lloyd."

The magic swordsman then shot to the girl with a look that mixed desperation, hope and urgency. He grabbed her by the shoulders and started to shake the girl, asking:

"You found them? Did you get the weapons back? Where are they? Answer to me?!", at each question, Merilius shook the pink haired girl stronger.

"Merilius... you're hurting me...", Presea said, trying to point that he was clutching her shoulder too much hard, touching even her bones.

"Answer to me what did you make with the weapons?!", the magic swordsman asked again, now in a demanding tone and again shaking with strength the young adult.

Genis saw Merilius was hurting Presea and ran to break the grip of the older half-elf, saying for him to get away of her. Using all his strength, the young warlock separated the frenetic adult from his crush and asked if she was alright. The little half-elf then turned to the Child of the Light, talking with him in an angry tone:

"What's your problem?! You could have hurt her."

Merilius didn't seem to have paid attention to the boy. He just passed his eyes to each member of the group, all surprised by the sudden and violent action by the light warrior's part. He didn't seem to care about Raine's and Sheena's reproving looks, it seemed he just wanted to know if someone would tell to him what they had made with the cursed weapons.

Asking and shouting again where the accursed items were, Merilius didn't get any answer. He seemed to be hallucinated. Sheena and Lloyd were the first to think that the Soul Eater did have affected the magic swordsman in a way. The younger descendant of Vallor then stretched her hand and asked to her cousin to hand the weapon to her. He shot an almost indignant look to her, asking what she had said.

"This weapon is doing something to you. Give it to me.", Sheena repeated, still with her hand opened, waiting for Merilius to give to her the weapon.

"Oh, I get it.", the Child of the Light whispered, making the grand summoner and all the heroes around look to him with confused looks. "You want to get and hand them to Vallor personally, don't you? You want to get all the credit by yourself, don't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't want anything like this, I just want to save you. Now, give this weapon to me!", the next chief of Mizuho said, starting to get annoyed at Merilius' strange behavior.

"No! You want to take my place in my family, don't you? I bet you hid all the other weapons."

Sheena was already finding that ridiculous, Merilius was being totally irrational. Deciding to give an end to that argue, the grand summoner called Vallor through her necklace, but to her surprise, nothing happened. Trying to call again, the female ninja then found she couldn't feel any presence inside the necklace. Analyzing better, she wasn't feeling the presence of even the Summon Spirits.

Before the next chief of Mizuho could take a conclusion, barriers appeared around her friends, closing them inside tube-like formations. The group jumped back as they saw that and tried to break the barriers, without much success. They had fallen in a trap again. Sheena looked back to Merilius, who was advancing to her, ready to slash her with the Soul Eater.

"Give me back my weapons!", the half-elven swordsman said, attacking his cousin.

Sheena avoided the blow by jumping back, but Merilius companied and tried to hit her with a spin. The female ninja back flipped, again avoiding the blow. The light bearer grid his teeth and started to attack the ninja with a quick succession of thrusts, which remembered much Sword Rain. Again, the grand summoner dodged and defended from the blows with her cards.

Lloyd and the others couldn't do anything, but watch as their friend battled for her life. However, Sheena wasn't fighting back, she was just defending and dodging Merilius' attacks. Maybe she didn't want to hurt him now that discovered he was a member of her family. The Eternal Swordsman prayed for his girlfriend to have a plan.

"Merilius, I don't want to take your place in our family. You are the guardian of the Devil's Arm, not me. I couldn't do half of your work.", Sheena tried to talk with her possessed cousin.

"Don't try to fool me! You know as much as me that you could be a guardian thousands of times better than me. Just look to you now! You're a hero in people's eyes and I... I'm no one! Your life was even better than mine. Why should I be the one to suffer and you be the one with nice relatives and good friends?!"

"That talk again?! We already talked about it, my life isn't the paradise you think it is. I also had my moments of failure and pain."

Merilius wasn't hearing her anymore, he again started to attack. Sheena didn't return the attacks, she didn't want to hurt the closest person she had of a family. The older Children of the Light, used Earth Rage and Light Thrust, the female ninja countered by throwing a smoke bomb. The light warrior search frantically for her, but failed in notice his cousin sneaking up behind him and pinned him against the ground.

Sheena tried to hold Merilius' hands and legs with her own, though the magic swordsman's struggle. She didn't want to hurt any of her friends and the way she saw the things were going, Nebilim could actually convince him to kill her.

Kill a member of his own family with intention was a terrible crime in Sheena's opinion. Mizuho just accepted that kind of thing in one situation: if this one committed other grave crimes against other people and wouldn't make up for it in any way. But the female ninja already heard stories about people killing their own family by the most selfish reasons. The most common reason was because the one killed had run with an elf and had a half-elven children, so to not have "the family's blood stained with such filthy breed" they killed the member and the child if they had the chance to.

Merilius rolled to get Sheena out of him and achieved to do so. He charged a light spell and casted Shining Seal. The female ninja was tied down by the seal lines of the Photon-like spell and tried to release herself, but before she could, the possessed light warrior came and slashed at her three times with strength. The grand summoner fell, her already blood-dyed kimono, getting wet of blood again and the colors gained a new tone at where the light bearer had cut her.

Lloyd shouted his love's name, but the barrier was even sound-proof. He started to beat the barrier with his bare fists, in a desperate to get to Sheena. The red clad angel tried to use his angelic powers, but found he couldn't release the necessary mana from his exphere, it was like that barrier was also locking away its powers.

The Children of the Light approached of his fallen opponent at the moment the seal was undone. He pointed his sword to Sheena's face, indicating any attempt of escape would result in death. Seeing herself surrounded, the female ninja tried to again call him to reason:

"Merilius, do you really want to do this? To kill somebody of your own family, of same blood? You're not this kind of person, I see it in your eyes."

"And why should I let you live? For you take my place then I'll worth as much as garbage?"

"I don't think you are garbage..."

"Don't try to patronize me. Do I look like a fool?"

The older Child of the Light grasped the hilt of the cursed sword with his two hands and lift it, preparing to deliver the final blow. In that moment, Sheena saw an opening and tripped Merilius, making him to fall while she rolled to the side and stayed with one knee in the ground.

The light warrior also stood and prepared to attack again. His cousin tried to again talk some sense into him:

"No, but you'll be just like Nebilim if you kill me."

Merilius was already advancing to her, but stopped midway by hearing that. Exclaiming a "what?!", the light bearer just looked to Sheena like he hadn't believe what she had just said. Seeing the chance, the female ninja tried to argument:

"Kill someone of your own family is something that only one as evil as Nebilim would do. Can't you see it? He's using your jealous of me to control you, don't let he guide your decisions again."

Was Nebilim controlling him again? Merilius thought that wasn't possible. She should be lying. Shaking his head, the Child of the Light again charged at his relative and Sheena this time defended with her dagger.

"Look. We have almost the same weapons. Doesn't this mean our family likes us equally? Why would I want to take your place if I already have my own responsibilities?"

Merilius pushed her and kicked the grand summoner, making she to lose the equilibrium. The magic swordsman then grabbed her by the throat and pinned she against the ground, holding the sword inches away of her face.

Sheena tried to release herself from the light warrior's grip, but he was as strong as Lloyd. She knew if she didn't do something her life would end at that moment. Remembering of the things Merilius said, she tried to speak something that could bring him back to reason:

"I'm... I'm of your family... I'm your cousin.", the female ninja said, between struggling to release herself. This was the first time she found strength to say those words. She couldn't deny it, she was Merilius' cousin.

"My cousin is Amile. And she's dead.", Merilius said, his tone sounding angry as he prepared to pierce through Sheena's skull.

"Even so, we are of the same family. I was angry at the first because of that thing of the rituals, I admit it, but that doesn't change the fact that I was the one that you looked over like a little sister. You tried your best to protect me and I'm sorry I didn't thank you for that."

Soul Eater stopped, some inches from the female ninja's face. Merilius' hand started to tremble, like he was hesitating in kill the young woman. Sheena heard he mumble her past name and then her actual one. She realized he was trying to fight back what possessed him.

"I couldn't take your place in our family after everything you did for me, after everything you suffered searching for me. All that I want is to make the people of my ninja clan proud and live at the side of those I love. This can includes you, but it's you who'll decide this. So, do you really want to kill me?"

"N... no...", Merilius mumbled, tears started to roll in his cheeks. "NO!!!", the light warrior then turned and threw the cursed sword with great might at the wall. Soul Eater got embedded in the wall, cutting the edge of an ax that was held there at the half.

As more tears rolled, light came out of Merilius' mouth, eyes and fingers, together with it a dark mist started to come out of the Child of the Light. After some time, the lights faded and the mist dispersed in the air. The barriers around Lloyd and the others broke.

The group approached to their female friend, asking if she was alright. Nodding, Sheena looked to Merilius, who was supporting his body by his hands while tears still rolling by his face. The magic swordsman then looked to Sheena and the others, his face showed a regretful expression as he spoke:

"I... I made of myself a fool again... didn't I?", Yuan, Raine and Genis nodded. The half-elven light bearer looked to the ground. "I'm sorry... I'm really sorry... I let my jealously cloud my mind once I discovered Sheena was a member of my family and that she had even succeed in living her life. Different from me that lost so much time, letting the Devil's Arms to rule over my decisions."

"So all that talk about you don't know if she could be considered a member of your family was just out of jealously?", Lloyd asked, with Merilius confirming. "Hum... then I'm sorry by have blamed your family for that."

"No, you don't need to apologize. I thought that Sheena would do a better guardian than I could ever be and that was another motive for me to get possessed. I'm really weak."

The group could now finally understand what motivated the Child of the Light to hide Sheena's true origins. Even loving her as much as he claimed, he certainly wouldn't leave of be some jealous by seeing all that his now grow up cousin achieved to do in her life with the help of her friends. Not even family bounds could refrain someone of be jealous of other.

The female ninja again insisted she wouldn't be so much better than her older relative like he thought. She wasn't perfect. The beautiful summoner remembered him about the incident with Volt and all that reflected in her life. Merilius finally recognized she was right and again apologized for everything of foolish he had done to her.

"I don't think it...", a voice echoed in the room. The group of heroes, save by Merilius, immediately looked to Soul Eater. Black smoke started to come out from the crystal ball that connected the hilt and the blade and formed a dark image of the descendant of Vallor. "We need to secure our place in Ishtar lineage. If not, she may take it when you less expect."

The projection of Merilius' darkness took the cursed sword out of the wall and played with it in its fingers. The eyes of that image were of a red tone and his voice sounded a little venous, like a lighter version of Nebilim.

"Why should we allow her to join in our family just for her to back stab us and take our place? Like you said Merilius, you're pitiful. We just turned into the guardians of the Devil's Arms because there wasn't anybody left, but if we allow her to join Ishtar lineage, how much time do you think would take for Vallor to name her the guardian of the Devil's Arms.", Dark Merilius said.

"So it was you... it was you who let my negative feelings lead my decisions. I should have guessed it.", Merilius said, clutching his fists.

"What fault I have if you are just a shameful, weak project of hero. Just look to you, how can you call yourself Child of the Light when you have darkness in you? You even failed in our duty to guard the weapons, making our family's name to fall in shame. The danger is real and you know that. I was just making sure she wouldn't take our place."

Merilius' hands started to shake. He had left his darkness take the control of his mind. It was true, he was weak. How could he call himself of Child of Light if he left his darkness to take him over?

"Just because he committed mistakes it doesn't mean he's weak.", Regal said, talking in Merilius' defense, surprising the half-elf. "He may have failed in his previous duty, but now he's working hard on a new mission and to correct his past mistakes. If he was weak, he would have given up when he realized his failures."

"But he just accepted to continue to fight because of Luna and Martel and...", the dark image of Merilius tried to reply, but was interrupted by Colette.

"_He_ decided to continue to live, _he_ accepted this new mission of learn to live again. He and nobody more. Martel and Luna may have helped him, but just Merilius could decide if he would accept the help. The fact that he fought back to not kill Sheena means he loves her, even if he was being controlled at the time, and it means she's more important to him than titles or positions in the family."

Loved her... the magic swordsman knew that, inside, he loved her like a sister. She was his cousin, deep inside, he had accepted that fact and was very happy by seeing she was alright and had turned into a wonderful, beautiful person, inside and outside.

Smiling at seeing the two friends were defending him, the older Child of Light again realized how just he had been foolish this entire time. He still had much to learn with them about himself and life. Looking to Sheena, who nodded and smiled to show to him she agreed with her two friends, Merilius finally found the strength to fight against those doubts, negative feelings and regrets that plagued his heart by so much time.

Walking to the front of the group, he drew his Runeblade, which sang as it was again took from its sheath to fight for its master. Dark Merilius took a step back, seeming some of uneasy by seeing his complete self was abandoning the feeling that previously made his heart so heavy.

"Then... how about we see if I'm really worthy of being called Child of the Light? By what I know, a Child of the Light is able to defeat any darkness and the evil, even his own.", Merilius said, clutching his sword tighter and making the blade to glow.


	54. The Heart of Evil

MY, this is one of my longest chapter and the one that has the most scene change.

Well people, this is it. After this one, the final battles against Kermish may begin! Oh, and now I want to ask to all of you something:

Like you have just saw, the history of Nebilim and Vallor is a very deep (and long) one, so I want to ask to you this: Would you want for me to make a fic telling about all the happenings of the Forgotten Ages? It would possibly take to me a serie to cover all the happenings and points about Vallor's journey to stop Nebilim and his lackeys from controling the world, as well as the beggining of their relationship.

You don't have to answer right now. Answer me in the final reviews. If I get a good number of positive answers, I'll consider on writing about my version for Nebilim's origins and the warrior that defeated him. But if you want to answer right now, it'll be good anyway.

Ok, I have already took much of this space for notes. Time for the Show!!!

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Chapter 54**

**The Heart of Evil**

The storm was over Meltokio. At the front of the city walls, the troops of the Renegades, the city militia and the army of the Royal Family were looking at the direction of the Great Tethe'alla Bridge. The fortress could be seen, approaching of the city.

A strange, unconscious fear invaded the soldiers and howling winds sent shivers through their spine. Under the fortress an army marched. An army of monsters. They couldn't understand how any living being could side with such a monstrosities, but one thing they understand: they would battle with those damn soldiers soon.

The fortress then stopped. The lightnings around it fell near to the army that defended the city. At the middle of the troops was Seles. Different from the soldiers, who were trembling inside their armors, she made her best to hold herself. She couldn't show fear before this adversary, she knew that. It wasn't just her life or those soldier's that was at stake there. If they failed in stop that army, it could march through the forest at the back of the capital and find the refuged people of Meltokio.

"Are you sure you should be here?", a soldier near to her asked. Turning her head, the red haired girl saw it was Denvir. "We can't guarantee anyone's life today, but the people that are inside the city. Are you sure you want to face the danger?"

"If we don't stop them, there won't be any point in me staying in that mansion, waiting for them to come.", the Chosen's sister said.

Denvir mumbled something like "true" and went to the front of the troops again. A roar was heard and a lightning fell near to them again. The demonic army then ran to them. The commanders of the defending army shouted:

"For the King! For Tethe'alla!!!"

With cheering screams, the soldiers also ran to the fray, as spells and arrows flew in the air, making the first victims in both sides. The battle for the future of Tethe'alla and possible all the world had begun...

- - - - -

The King of Tethe'alla looked by the great windows of one of the many living rooms of the castle. The scene he gazed at seemed like some kind of portrait drew by an artist in the time of the Kharlan War, but, someway, more sinister and scary.

The flying fortress at the bottom of the scenery gave out an omen-like mood to the battle scene. It was like they were fighting against destruction itself, what the ruler of the flourishing country didn't doubt once he heard what kind of abominations made part of the adversary troops.

Letting out a sigh, the King went to the room where his daughter was. Like that half-elf that was with Lloyd and Yuan had predicted, she started to twist in the bed like was possessed by something. Just the spells the elves had put there refrained the Princess from stand and do something that could meant danger for her and the others in the castle.

_It pains me to see her like this, but I can't do anything about._, the ruler of Tethe'alla thought, sighing heavily. The scene was heart breaking for any father to see, but he knew the consequences of letting her free would be worse.

A soldier entered in the room and went to his lord, not making any comment about the state of the Princess. The servant bowed as he said:

"My lord, are you sure you shouldn't leave? You're a easy target here."

"Hide won't stop the inevitable. All that the leader of those half-elves, the Renegades, said come to be true. If we lost here, it won't matter if I even go to Flanoir, they will find me. All we can do is to have faith in the heroes and the spirits..."

- - - - -

Sheena warned to Merilius that to defeat his dark image he would need to think up on a strategy. Now the older Child of the Light saw what she meant by that. Dark Merilius was as quick and precise as him, making the combat to be a though one.

After clash his Runeblade against the cursed sword, the light warrior tried to think on something that could help him in that fight. Looking to the cases full of weapons he came up with an idea.

Pushing his dark side, the Child of the Light tried to stab it, but the projection of his darkness jumped aside. Merilius charged wind mana in his blade, unleashing a Demon Sphere attack, but the sphere passed inches away of his darkness' side. Smiling, Dark Merilius was ready to taunt his complete self by that miss when something exploded behind him. Looking, the dark side of the magic swordsman got hit in the shoulder by a lance that flew from the destroyed case.

Removing the weapon from his shoulder, the dark image found it hadn't made any serious damage. Looking back to Merilius, the projection of the adult half-elf's darkness widened its eyes when saw him at the side of another case, taking a Halberd and throwing it up and down in his hand.

"It's a good weapon, but I prefer my Runeblade.", the Child of the Light said, smiling and looking to his dark image. "Hey, try to catch!", Merilius threw the Halberd to his dark side, which defected it with a blow of his sword.

The light warrior threw more weapons at the projection of his darkness, which defected each one with Soul Eater. When Merilius threw the case, he ran to his darkness, who destroyed the wooden objected and widened its eyes at seeing his complete self upon him.

Merilius used Earth Rage and a spell that made to appear several light balls, which shot to his darkness' projection and exploded on him, releasing powerful light mana, dubbed Light Spheres. Dark Merilius was thrown backwards, but twisted his body in the air and landed with one knee in the ground.

"Dark Sphere!", the dark image of the Child of the Light casted almost instantaneously the spell.

Merilius was hit and immobilized by the opposite of Photon, as his dark side ran to attack him. Sheena and the others shouted to Merilius when the dark mana exploded on him and his shadow was ready to cut him in two. The sound of metal cutting flesh was heard, making some members of the group of heroes to close their eyes. When they opened, their mouths fell.

Soul Eater was inches from Merilius' face and the projection of his darkness seemed to be freeze at his place. The point of a dagger came out of Dark Merilius' wrist and the party could see that the adult half-elf's arm was near the arm of his dark side, in a way that made it clear the magic swordsman had thrust the dagger in the arm of his dark image.

The Child of the Light then brought his sword back and quickly stabbed his shadow, in the Light Thrust technique. The light sphere entered in Dark Merilius' body and rays of light shot from it, as he screamed in pain. When the light energies exploded, the projection of Merilius' darkness also exploded, turning into a dark mist, which dissipated in the air.

Soul Eater floated away of Vallor's descendant, stopping near the opposite wall. Nebilim's flaming shadow materialized again. Merilius gridded his teeth at seeing his family's mortal enemy.

"One without honor is nothing. Sacrifice your own honor for the sake of one won't make you nobler in the eyes of people. I can't believe Vallor forgot to teach this to his descendants, it was one of the most ancient elven sayings. Did that softhearted half-elf lose any drop of elven proud that was left in him just to save the humans? If you don't have an image in your own people, you can't consider yourself a citizen...", as the Dark Lord's wraith disappeared, together with his cursed weapon, Merilius blurt out.

"What a big....!!! He is the one that lost any drop of honor left in him when he completely destroyed an elven city and accuses Vallor of abandoning the elven ways! Cynic bastard."

"Forget it Merilius.", Sheena said, approaching. "Nebilim considers himself above anything, even the elven laws. He showed this when he captured the elves and tried to force Genis to use darkness magic."

Merilius looked to his cousin with a surprised look. The said little magician spoke they would tell the entire story in the way to the Space Tower. The light warrior approached to the party and went to the teleporter with them.

"Welcome back Merilius.", Lloyd said with a smile and with a nod from the Child of the Light. "Hum, can I ask you something?", Merilius arched his eyebrow in a look of "what would be it?". "Well, you're Sheena's family so... you don't have anything against me and she date, have you?"

The magic swordsman chuckled, putting his hand in his forehead while shook his head. Looking to young man, the adult half-elf spoke:

"Sheena already showed she know how to choose her companions better than me. In respect of her relationships, I consider she's old enough to choose her boyfriends.", Lloyd sighed in relief. Zelos looked to Genis and said "see it?". "But if you make her unhappy, I'll proclaim you as enemy of my family. Understood?", the adult half-elf said, crossing his arms and showing a serious expression in his face.

Lloyd gulped as he nodded. Zelos once said to him that the worst part when you dated a girl was to know her parents (and just to scare them more, the pervert Chosen said they would never be good enough in the girl's parent's view). Igagury already showed that he didn't have anything against their relationship, but if Merilius was so protective over Sheena as he said, the Eternal Swordsman had the fear that he could decide to follow them just to see and judge if he was worthy of her.

Genis looked back to Zelos once Sheena's cousin said that and spoke to the red haired swordsman "see it?"...

- - - - -

The first thing the group saw when they took the portal back to the Space Tower was the Summon Spirits and Vallor, who rushed to them once saw the group had back.

"How it was? We were thrown away of the portal when we tried to go with you.", Luna asked.

Sheena then narrated all that happened in the armory. When the female ninja ended the story, Merilius was looking to the side, in shame, as Vallor looked to his descendant and spoke to him:

"It's good to see you finally learn what is important in life. I'm proud that you have been able to face your darkness and win it."

"But... I wouldn't have win it without the help of Colette, Regal, Sheena and the others.", the Child of the Light said, his cheeks red.

"Friends make part of who we are. We choose them by the affinity they have with our personality. If your friends helped you, it means you're important to them.", the wise hero said, making Merilius to blush redder.

"Ok, now we have everybody back. Time to go to the Heart's Chamber.", Celsius said.

Vallor indicated a teleporter in one of the many balconies of the tower, which would take them to the dungeons that were in the way to the chamber. The group went to the appointed teleporter. The crystal ball was in the head of a stone image of a Zombie. Lloyd touched the crystal ball and the group was again teleported through the castle.

They appeared at the side of an old-looking steel door. This time Sheena could feel the presence of the spirits with them. The room had just a corridor with cells covering the walls. Inside them were the elves, who stood and looked to the group once noticed their presence.

The leader of Heimdall recognized the heroes and called for them. The group approached to the cell that the elf elder was alone. Asking if the other elves were alright, the party sighed in relief when they heard that the denizens were all in the cells.

Lloyd then unlocked the doors of all the cells in the dungeon, it was easy and there wasn't any kind of magical defense around the bars or the doors, what the group of heroes found a rather strange. Volt then explained that Meltokio was already being attacked, so Nebilim was focusing his forces on destroying the city. Zelos urged his friends to reach the Heart's Chamber. Origin spoke:

"I'll send the elves back to the main land and enter in the fight. I had been too much lenient with Nebilim's actions, even knowing they would have terrible consequences to this world. This time, I'll fight against him."

"I'll go with you then.", Undine said, but her ruler shook his head, saying she would be more necessary with the heroes.

Nodding to her superior, the aquatic entity went to the side of the heroes while the elves grouped behind the King of the Summon Spirits. A great magic circle appeared under Origin and the rescued elves while the great king chanted a spell. A great ring of light rose above the level of Origin's head and a pillar of light covered the space between it and the ground. The ruler of the spirits and the elves disappeared when the pillar downed...

- - - - -

If Niflheim was the land of the demons, then part of it had just manifested upon that world. Arch Demons picked up soldiers and threw them like toys. Medusas slided in the ground, tied their tails around the legs of the troops and crushed them with incredible strength. Bandits used all the kinds of dirty tricks to win their opponents and the elemental shadows practically eliminated great numbers without even worry to defend themselves, for it was just a matter of them to reform their bodies with some seconds of concentration.

Denvir, Seles and the Renegades were the best combatants in Meltokio's side, taking down several demons and shadows with magic attacks and spells. Unfortunately, the other side soon discovered it and some demons started to smell the air, searching for the unique scent that a half-elf produced.

The Second-in-command and the sister of the Chosen One got several cuts in their bodies and some wounds of when demons tried to crush and knock them down with physical and magic attacks.

_It's impossible! They're superior to us in power and variety. How can we win a troop like this?_, Denvir thought, stabbing a elemental shadow of darkness without notice, which countered by slashing his arm shaped in a blade.

The half-elven commander flinched back, holding his arm and letting his sword embedded in the body of the chaos being, which didn't seem to mind and charged spheres of darkness in its hands, ready to throw beams at his adversary. Denvir knew if those beams hit him it would drain his energies, leaving him in no conditions to continue the fight.

When the shadow stretched its arms to shoot the magic, a purple blade came down and cut the dark limbs, making the magic to disperse. The shadow turned to the wielder of the sword in time to have its head cut off by another slash of Seles. The chaos being's body started to melt in the ground and the red haired girl took and sword and went Denvir.

"The situation isn't good. These shadows, or whatever they are, are virtually immune to any attack that doesn't have magic mixed in. The soldiers of the city are simply killing themselves trying to hit these things.", the half-elven girl said, handing the sword to Denvir, who had to take it with the other arm.

The elemental shadow reformed its body and lifted its shaped arm, ready to end with its adversary. When the two companions looked to their to-be executor, a white lance appeared at the front of the creature, which stopped in surprise. Two bright lines made of light came from two directions and hit lance. Stones and sparks of electricity rose in the air as the dark shadow and any other demons and shadows around were hit by the powerful attack.

The shadow disintegrated in the air after receive the powerful charge of magical energies. Denvir and Seles felt a powerful mana manifesting in the battle field and a bright light shone from a point above them.

The combatants that weren't fighting against the demonic troop stopped to look to the omnipotent presence that eliminated a considerable amount of their enemies in one attack. Origin's solemn figure could be seen, with his upper arms crossed, looking over the land like some kind of savior that came to help his people. The figure of the great king made a flame of hope lit in the heart of Meltokio's defenders.

"Spawns of the evil, I won't allow for you to bring pain and suffering upon this land and its dwellers anymore. I shall now purge your existence from this plane!", as the King of the Summon Spirits spoke, some demons stopped to look to the figure of the one that once defeated their masters, many eons ago.

Making his weapons to appear, Origin flew to the enemy army, slashing at any demon and shadow he saw. His blows were charged with mana powerful enough to fry Niflheim's denizens inside out. Each time the supreme spirit swung his weapons, two up to three adversaries fell, mana bombarding the chaos energies inside their bodies with such potency that in seconds the weakest ones were laying in the field, dead.

Seles and Denvir stayed mouth agape, like good part of the troops when they saw the spirit entering in the battle and making demons fall around him like dominoes. Snapping out of his shocked state, the Renegade commander raised his sword to call his soldiers to battle again with a cry:

"To victory!"

- - - - -

Passing another short corridor, the group finally reached the chamber where the Elemental Heart was guarded. The great gem bumped like any normal heart, but the multicolored lights it emitted gave out an eerie mood to the room. Connected to it were many tubes made of a substance that neither Lloyd, Yuan or Merilius could identify. The elven members in the group could feel powerful energies flowing from the Heart to inside the tubes.

The Summon Spirits had faded before they let the dungeons, saying the aura of the fortress was draining their energies and they needed to spare their powers to the battle against Kermish and Nebilim. They said if the group needed their help, Sheena could call them using the summoning chant, this way she would lend some of her mana for them to perform an attack, saving their energy to a more necessary moment.

Near the small stairs to the platform where the great gem was there was a stone pedestal with a stone tablet at its top. From their place, the angels of the group could see letters carved in the tablet that looked like ancient elven writing. Vallor materialized again and pointed to the stone pedestal while explained:

"That is the control panel of the Heart. Only one with elven blood may operate the controls. With it we can even diminish the storm clouds around the fortress and make the sun shines over Meltokio again."

"If we do that, the elemental shadows that are battling in the ground will be all destroyed, reducing considerably the number of Nebilim's army.", Maxwell's voice stated.

"Then let's do this.", Sheena said, approaching the pedestal.

Before the grand summoner and her friends could reach the tablet, a huge ice block covered it, making the entire group to stop as an ethereal voice boomed in the chamber:

"This is the farthest you reached... and from here you shall not advance.", looking to the left, the heroes saw Khan'Tharu, his skeletal hand stretched to the control panel of the Elemental Heart.

The temperature in the room seemed to decrease some degrees when the Linch made his presence acknowledge. As the undead mage looked to his opponents, the party again felt the sensation of a chill running through their spines, but stronger now.

"Ah, so the biggest puppet the world as ever saw decided to make its entrance...", Merilius said. "Really Khan, Even demon messengers have more autonomy than you."

"Have no respect for your superiors in the ranks of masters in magic seems to be a common characteristic between your descendants, Vallor.", the Linch said, looking to the hero spirit, who didn't even flinch at being looked right in the eyes by the otherworldly creature.

"Hu, I wouldn't say so. In my ranks, you would be considered lower than even the wandering spirits in Niflheim. At least they have respect for their conditions as beings from another plane, different from people as you, who gave up on your mortally just to seek a power that is nothing more than an illusion.", the ancient hero said.

The right "eye" of the Linch flickered at the comment. Lloyd and others smiled at seeing Vallor's comment had taken an effect on the undead being. Khan'Tharu talked back, almost spitting the next words:

"This power that you mock could have made this world a better place if it wasn't for your interference. Lord Nebilim gave to you the chance to join his glorious cause, but you refused just to follow these hollow ideas of peace you believed in. Honestly, do you think a limited existence is enough to do everything that is necessary to bring peace to the world, or did you forget right after you death all the work you have done rendered in nothing?"

Now it was Vallor the one to get angry at that. The illuminated spirit gridded his teeth at hearing that. Khan'Tharu and his master always threw at his face how they considered his ideas of reach peace without get anybody hurt or killed foolish and all the times they achieve to make a sting of anger puncture his heart.

"Say, was it good to have all the hard work you did recognized when the elves decided to erase your existence from books of history?", the Linch taunted again. Vallor sighed deeply, using a solemn tone as he spoke again.

"I did what I knew was right. The rest was at charge of those who witnessed those hard times, but if they choose to follow an easier path, it's not my fault. I'm in peace with myself, so don't come trying to use my disillusions of the past to taunt me. And I won't lose my time in trying to convince you to turn back. You're beyond any hope from the moment you choose to abandon your life as an elf just to follow Nebilim's twisted ideals of peace and order.", with those last words, Vallor entered back in his necklace.

"Lord Nebilim's words are law and his will is absolute. What he speaks is the truth about how this world really is, but you, blind fools, won't live enough to discover it.", Khan'Tharu said, his hands glowing with white energies.

The group drew their weapons as the first frost bolt of that battle was threw. Raine, Genis and Zelos prepared to cast light and fire spells on the undead mage, as the others charged at him. Khan'Tharu casted an ice spell practically without charge it, making the group to disperse to avoid the Absolute spell.

Photon, Explosion and Eruption were casted, but when they realized, it had hit nothing, for the Linch made an ice stalagmite cover his body. When it exploded after received the first attack, it reveled the undead elf wasn't there anymore.

Feeling the cold behind him, Zelos turned and was grabbed by the throat by a skeletal hand, which lifted him from the ground. The red headed Chosen tried to release himself, but remembered again how just strong the Linch was. Looking to the skull of the undead mage, Zelos felt the cold entering inside him.

"Frost Glare!", the otherworldly magician pronounced, making Zelos to instantaneously turn into an ice statue.

Raine cried the name of her boyfriend, as the Linch left him go and used his teleport, ice stalagmite before Yuan's Spark Wave and Merilius' Holy Lance could hit him. Appearing at the front of the healer, the undead mage grabbed her by the hair and threw a frost bolt on her. The female researcher flew back while Khan'Tharu casted a Freeze Lancer spell, aiming Sheena.

While her cousin went to their hit friends, the female ninja rolled and jumped aside, doing even a back flip to avoid the pointy ice shards that shot to her. Lloyd and Regal finally reached the skeleton and started to attack him, but Nebilim's advisor simply batted their attacks away and countered with instantaneous casts and blows with frost energies.

Yuan and Colette also attacked. The blond angel achieved to hit the Linch with Angel Feathers while Yuan joined to his friends in the direct attack against the undead elf. She tried to throw some Para Balls, but the Linch again teleported, appearing near to Presea, who was walking to the fight.

Catching the young adult's ax, Khan'Tharu threw her above his head and beat the girl in the ground. He did that more three times, before spun the pink haired girl above his head and threw her on Regal. Genis tried to retaliate the attack at his crush, but had to jump aside to avoid a frost bolt from the Linch, interrupting his spell.

Sheena enchanted the group's weapon's with fire, but Khan'Tharu dispelled the seals, making the young woman to swore, she was already tired of those supernatural creatures that could seal away the power of spell casters and dispel enchantments to reinforce the attack. She then called for Efreet and the Red Giant appeared, ready to use his Burst Fall on the Linch. However, the undead mage teleported at the time the fierce spirit made the attack and charged a spell, stretching his arms up.

"Chilling Breeze!", winds started to blow from the Linch's front and push the party away. Shards of ice started to attach to their clothing as they were pushed back. Merilius had already healed Raine and the two tried to cast a barrier around the group, but found that winds were even blowing the mana away.

_He's trying to freeze us with this._, Lloyd thought, fighting against the freezing winds and walking closer to the skeletal magician. The young man was using the flames of Flameberg as a shield against the winds.

Efreet, who was at the front of Sheena, trying to protect the summoner from the winds by igniting the air around him, but when he did so, part of his flames were absorbed by the Elemental Heart, together with his mana. The burning entity started to feel weak as his mana was being drained by the great gem.

Apologizing to Sheena, Efreet faded, ceasing the drain of his mana. The female ninja then looked to the Heart, it seems they have again fallen into a trap. Lloyd finally was close enough to slash at the Linch, but his move was too much slow due the winds that tried to blew him away and the cold that limited his reflexes.

Khan'Tharu caught the flaming blade with his skeletal hand, interrupting the spell. Flameberg seemed to try to burn the bony limb, but the undead being didn't even flinch as flames licked his skeletal fingers.

"I already achieved my intention with that spell. You're out of your league, boy.", speaking that, the Linch punched Lloyd, as his fist shone with white energies, making part of the dual swordsman face to freeze.

Regal tried to attack the Linch, by jumping while he was distracted with Lloyd, but the magical skeleton noticed his presence and opened his mouth, letting out one of his green-poison clouds. The blue haired president tried to use Bastion, but some smoke entered inside his bubble-like shield and he cough in the instant he breathed the green gas.

The former convict fell to the ground, trying to move, but his body seemed paralyzed and he felt his forces leaving him. The Linch gazed over Regal, speaking:

"You may have defended my attack, but you cannot avoid the venom in my Death Breath. You'll die in seconds."

"Not if we have something to do about it!", Yuan shouted, jumping in scene and achieving to land a blow on the skeletal mage.

Nebilim's advisor floated behind, escaping the other blows of the thunder master. Colette took the moment to charge Judgment. She casted the angelic spell at the time the Linch held Yuan's saber between his two hands. Beams of light hit the otherworldly magician dead on, burning his energies and leaving him open to more attacks.

Yuan used Thunder Slices and threw a sphere of electrical mana on Khan'Tharu, but when he tried to use Thunder Explosion, the Linch caught his blade in the air and quickly threw him at Colette. Putting his hand in the ground at their direction, the undead being pronounced:

"Ice Fissure!", two lines of pointy ice lances came from the ground and started to approach the two friends, when a Eruption spell was casted at the front of Colette and Yuan, melting the lances that sprouted from the ground.

Genis had to avoid another frost bolt that flew in his direction and went to where his sister was analyzing a frozen Zelos. The little magician pointed to Regal, who was with his hands at his throat, like he was chocking. The half-elven teacher then casted Recover, purifying the blue haired fighter's system from the foul venom.

Presea again tried to attack the Linch, but he teleported away and charged another spell. Before the undead mage could cast his magic attack, Light Spheres was casted and hit him, interrupting his spell casting. Merilius then launched a Demonic Sphere attack on Nebilim's advisor, who simply stretched his hand at the direction of the wind sphere, which dispersed when collided in his bony limb.

"Please... is that all you have to show to me?", the former elf asked.

"Not really...", a voice came from behind the Linch.

Before Khan'Tharu could turn, he was hit by a Rising Phoenix, which burnt part of his robe. Sheena then came at the front of the skeletal mage and started to attack him with a quick succession of techniques with her cards, lowering the Linch's defense. Lloyd came in and added his own attacks, forming a deadly sequence of blows with his girlfriend, not leaving the skeleton any chance to counter. The two ended the sequence with Hunting Beast and Demon Seal, the first didn't achieve to send the undead elf to the air, due the magic that maintained his body floating, but Demon Seal blew him out.

When Nebilim's advisor again tried to throw a frost bolt on them, he was hit in his back by Regal's strong kicks. Presea also launched several hard rocks on the Linch, using Mass Devastation, Dual Punishment and Infinite Destruction while Regal used Wolverine, Crescent Dark Moon, Eagle Fall and Triple Kick. Each time one had to pause between the attacks, the other used his technique to not let their adversary a chance to escape.

To complete the assault on the undead mage, Colette called for her light manipulation technique and attacked together with Merilius. Their combined attacks threw the Linch away, making a good amount of damage on the skeleton.

"Impossible. How didn't I notice their approaching?", Khan'Tharu asked to himself. Then he caught something. "Wait...", the Linch looked attentively to the group and with his magical sight he caught a veil of darkness mana around each one of the heroes. "I see. While I was distracted you summoned Shadow and asked for him to occult your companion's presence from me.", the undead elf said, meaning Sheena.

"Well, I knew if I tried to summon him to attack you, it would just make that big gem drain the mana, so I had to think on another way.", the female ninja said. "It was a rather smart idea to fight with us in this chamber just to make sure the spirits wouldn't beat your ass, but I guessed your trick. Now, you're done for it, bony freak."

"Hu, you're a rather smart one. Pity that you born in the wrong family or Lord Nebilim could use your talents.", white energies glowed in Khan'Tharu's hands again, but this time he was reuniting a more powerful charge. "Anyway, your smartness won't save you. Frozen Shield!", stretching his hands up and lowering them slowly, Khan'Tharu made the energies in his hand attach to his body, covering his bones with an ice layer.

The Linch casted another spell, which he called Glacial Missile, making five spheres of ice mana and chaos energies. The spheres shot a ray on the group's direction. The heroes tried to avoid, but Genis got hit in the legs and Presea in the arm which she held her ax. The limbs were imprisoned in thick, ice blocks.

Lloyd and Sheena again tried to attack, but discovered the ice layer Khan'Tharu put on himself protected him from most of the attacks, making him to feel almost nothing. The Linch then grabbed the two by their hair and looked to one another's eyes, as his own shone.

"Frost Glare!", Sheena and Lloyd were frozen just as Zelos, even when they tried to close their eyes.

Dropping the new ice statues, the Linch turned to rest of the group, which backed a step away at seeing their two stronger fighters fall for the undead being's spell. Khan'Tharu again used his Death Breath on them, making the heroes to jump back. While they moved away of their opponent, Nebilim's advisor teleported near to Colette and backhanded her face, leaving a red livid mark on her cheek, and threw a frost bolt on her. Yuan tried to slash at the former elf by that, but had his weapon deflected by the skeletal mage's hands.

Raine still trying to unfreeze Zelos, but all her efforts were rendering useless. She had used every cure spell she could remember and even Dispel didn't revert the situation of her lover. Genis, whose ice had melted after some time, was by her side, watching to see if the Linch would try to attack his sister. When the healer was losing her hopes, she made a desperate cry for the red haired angel to react.

Genis then remembered his sister still have a potent, purifying spell she hadn't use for a long time. The young warlock walked to the female researcher and said for her to try Peace Song. Raine widened her eyes, she had forgot the spell Maxwell had taught to her.

"But it was to purify the crystals. I'm not sure it will work on this case.", the half-elven teacher said.

"What was the number of that Dwarven Vow that says you can do anything if you try?", Genis asked, taking a quick smile from his sister.

With a nod, Raine asked for Genis to maintain the Linch away of her. The young warlock nodded and moved away of her, preparing to cast his most powerful spell. Yuan had already being grabbed by the Linch and threw with great strength at the wall, but showed his wings and recovered midair, using his feet to soften the impact against the wall and taking impulse to launch back at Khan'Tharu.

Colette and Merilius were again trying to attack the magic skeleton, but he dodged from Yuan's aerial attack and created an iceberg at his front to block the two light bearers. The Linch teleported again, appearing this time some feet away of Presea. Noticing Genis gathering a great amount of mana around him, the undead mage immediately teleported to the front of half-elf, his hand glowing with white energies.

"M-meteor Storm!", Genis said, stuttering due the surprise of the undead elf had teleported to his front. Khan'Tharu brought his skeletal hand to behind, pointing the fingers to the little half-elf.

Khan'Tharu was determined to pierce the young warlock's chest before the first meteor fell upon him, but when he tried to stab Genis, an ax blade came to his front, blocking his hand. Before the Linch could turn to the pink haired girl that interrupted his killing, a meteor fell upon him, launching the otherworldly being upwards. Nebilim's advisor got hit by many other meteors, making his frozen armor to crack.

Raine then casted Peace Song. The ice on Zelos melted, freeing the red headed angel. Taking deep breaths, the angel swordsman knelled, shaking from head to bottom. The half-elven teacher asked if he was alright, receiving an answer:

"I'll be in one minute...", Zelos then looked to the Linch, who casted Glacial Missile on the group again. "But he won't be..."

Showing his wings, the Chosen flew in high speed to the skeletal mage, who noticed his presence, but didn't have time to react, receiving a strong punch. Zelos charged fire mana on his sword and used a quick and strong sequence of blows on the Linch.

"I'll make you...", a slash at the skeleton's face made deep mark on the ice layer. "Regret of...", another strike with flames burnt slightly the front of the Linch's robe. "Have mess with my...", Zelos used Hell Pyre on the undead mage, with a particularly powerful fire ball, which released a potent explosion. "Girl!!!", the red headed warrior grabbed the Linch's shoulder and stabbed him right where should be his belly, making the point of the blade to appear at the former elf's back. "Do you think I didn't see everything when I was frozen?!"

Zelos then retrieved his sword, cutting some more the robe of the otherworldly magician while the blade still ignited. Khan'Tharu backed away and held his body where Zelos had hit him. The ice protection of the Linch shattered and fell. The elven members of the group could feel that the energies of the undead elf have greatly reduced.

Deciding the battle was turning dangerous to him, Nebilim's advisor decided to try his most potent spell. Stretching his bony arms up, Khan'Tharu chanted words of power in an unknown language, his hand shining with an unhealthy, white glow. The group stopped to see what would come from the undead mage.

"Arctic Winds!"

What followed the appearance of the cyclones and icebergs at the middle of the chamber was utter chaos. The ones in the group of the heroes with better physical reflexes jumped and avoided the great, falling ice shards. The ones that haven't a good physical constitution, tried to use their defensive techniques, just to be hit latter by the big wind blades and giant ice shards.

Merilius did the same he did in the Darkness Temple to survive against the attack, but when he jumped to other big, flying ice shard, Khan'Tharu was at the top of it and received the swordsman with a frost bolt. The magic swordsman was thrown back by the force of the blow and against another flying ice shard, being caught at the chest by a potent wind blade, which left a great cut mark in the ice shard and made blood flew out of Merilius' wound. The light warrior then fell to the ground with a hard thud.

The other members of the party had a similar destiny to Merilius. The ones that tried to stay at the air to avoid all the blows that came from the magic attack received frost bolt in their backs from Khan'Tharu, who teleported to several points, seeking the angels. The seconds in which they were pushed forward by the blows were sufficient to wind blades cut them or being hit by hard ice shards.

At the end of the attack Colette, Yuan and Zelos were panting and Raine, Genis, Presea and Regal were lying in the ground, trying to force themselves to stand. The magic spell had been worse to those in the ground, who couldn't walk three centimeters without have to avoid a great ice shard trying to crush them.

Khan'Tharu floated back to the ground, showing a stoic pose as he looked upon his opponents. The main spell casters on the team had spent too much of their mana, trying to cure and counter the ice spells of the Linch, while the main fighters were already feeling the effects of all their efforts in that battle. Lloyd and Sheena still laying in the ground, frozen.

"You fight with bravery, but for the wrong cause. Faithless ones that can't see the truth such as you will never prevail.", the Linch said in his ethereal voice. "Now, you shall die for Lord Nebilim's glory."

The undead mage brought his hand to near his face, making it to glow with white energies again. Yuan, Zelos and Regal stood, decided to defend their friends from the Linch's next attack. When the skeleton mage brought his hand back, ready to throw another frost bolt at them, the three warriors assumed a defensive stance. The attack, however, didn't come, for in that moment Merilius casted Shining Seal on Khan'Tharu, binding the Linch.

Nebilim's advisor looked to the Child of the Light, who was preparing to cast another spell. Merilius knew in that moment Khan'Tharu should be grinning if he had lips, for the Linch broke the magic shackles with ease.

"Did you think such pitiful magic could bind me?", the Linch taunted.

"No, I don't.", Merilius said, smiling, a gesture that made Khan'Tharu got worried. "But You should remember that I have other powerful magic... like summoning."

Before the Linch could fully realize what the light bearer was implying, Merilius recited the summoning chant of his family, calling for Luna. The Light of the Heavens appeared in a flash, at the front of the undead mage, bearing a deadly serious look. Casting her own Shinning Seal, the Summon Spirit of light charged a powerful shot of light mana.

Khan'Tharu tried, but he couldn't move or break this seal. Luna then shot a beam of the size of the Linch's head, when it hit the skeleton it made yellow sparks ran around his body. The undead being could feel his energies being destroyed by the clash against the powerful light mana. Luna then disappeared in the moment Merilius arrived near the former elf.

The Child of the Light put two fingers at the point of his Runeblade and passed them through the part of the blade without edge. As the light warrior passed his fingers, the blade started to glow brightly. Khan'Tharu tried to teleport away, but he still paralyzed due Luna's light beam.

"Light Strike!", Merilius then slashed at Khan'Tharu with great speed and strength. The blow left a line of light where the Child of the Light had cut the Linch. More sparks ran at the skeletal mage's body, immobilizing him. Then the sparks and the light mana around the undead being were absorbed by the bright wound at his chest and it released a powerful explosion of light, consuming a great amount of chaos energy in the process.

Khan'Tharu backed a little and felt more of his energy collapsing inside himself. Letting out a otherworldly cry, the Linch's vital energy was violently released, making lights came out of his skull and sleeves. When the lights disappeared, Nebilim's advisor went to the ground, putting his hands on the cold, stone floor and his robe folding in a way that could indicate he was knelled.

The ice of the stone pedestal and in Lloyd and Sheena melted. The Linch now had energy just to maintain his body together and even this was slowly seeping away of him. Merilius pointed his sword to Khan'Tharu, who was even panting.

"Now, who's the one fighting for the wrong cause?", the magic swordsman said while Raine and the others stood and went to help Lloyd and Sheena, who were shaking due their bodies still cold.

Khan'Tharu looked to Merilius. The lights inside his empty orbs were weak, indicating he could even die now from deprivation of the energy that maintained him alive. Sheena sneezed, attracting her cousin's attention. This break of his concentration was everything the Linch needed in that moment. Dark smoke started to involve the undead elf. Merilius looked back to his defeated opponent and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Another day my friends... another day...", the Linch's ethereal voice boomed in the room.

Merilius cleaved the cloud of smoke, just to find the Linch had escaped. As the smoke dispersed in the air, the Child of the Light grumbled an insult of "coward" to the otherworldly magician. Sheena's necklace shone and Vallor materialized again, speaking:

"Let him go. He won't be a problem anymore, you strucked his energy down. It'll take a long amount of time for him to recover his powers and until there we will have defeated Nebilim and his new puppet.", Merilius agreed with his noble ancestor and sheathed his weapon, going to the side of his trembling cousin.

Sheena hugged Lloyd, trying to use the little heat that there was in their bodies to maintain them warm. Genis produced a magical fire in his hands, holding it close to his friends. Merilius then arrived near the group and said they still have to change the course of the fortress and diminish the storm around it.

Raine agreed and let the two lovers at the care of Merilius. She and Yuan went to the now unfroze pedestal and looked over the inscriptions in the stone surface. The Renegades' leader thought for a moment in how they would activate the controls. Vallor said only those with elven blood could operate the controls. Like the ancient hero was the only half-elf in the time the city was constructed, Nebilim probably didn't think on the possibility of someone with the blood of the two races came and hack the system.

"Maybe if I use some of my mana...", the former Seraphim thought aloud, bringing his hand to near the panel and making it to glow as he concentrated some of his mana on the palm. When the blue-haired half-elf touched the stone surface the letters on the tablet shone with a light-blue glow. "Ah, there."

The letters engraved in the stone tablet rose some inches above the surface of the pedestal and stopped, floating in the air like ghost glyphs. Raine let out a sigh of pure admiration at seeing how the controls of the Elemental Heart worked.

"It's absolutely fantastic! The net of spells that form this control is such intricate work that you don't see even in the most advanced machines made by magitechnology, it's absolutely wonderful!", the group shot awkward glances to Raine. They haven't seen her in Ruin-mode since they entered in the city, what some of them considered very strange to the female researcher's standards. "This could be considered an archaic version of magitechnology."

"Uh... Raine, can you save the enthusiasm for latter? We have a city to save.", Zelos spoke, trying to not sound bothered or with fear of his excited girlfriend.

"Oh. Yes, you're right. Sorry.", Raine said, she and Yuan then looked to the letters and concentrated to release some mana by their hands to operate the controls.

Pressing the letters in the air, the duo of half-elves saw the letters they pressed turn red and disappear once they completed the instruction. Yuan discovered the floating letters were in truth a keyboard and the manipulation was really easy. When they completed the nest command, the letters rearranged, forming complete words, which probably formed options of a menu.

Pressing a word in ancient elven that read "Storm Shield", a big image of the battlefield near Meltokio was showed at the front of the Heart, together with an image of the storm clouds around the fortress. Finding a blue, transparent bar above the stone tablet that looked like an indicator of intensity, Yuan used his finger to touch the indicator and reduce it to the minimum.

The group of heroes then looked to the "screen" that showed the storm clouds over the fortress and saw it was diminishing, letting the sun bath the earth with its rays again...

- - - - -

Nebilim's army still having a slight advantage on its adversaries by the elemental shadows that had already eliminated a great number of fighters. Origin and the Renegades were the only ones that could destroy the chaos beings, but until they reached them, the shadows had already eliminated good part of the opponents at their reach, resulting that now the defenders of the city were a quarter of the number they were at the beginning of the battle.

A group of human soldiers were surrounded by ten elemental shadows with menacing gleams in their shiny, cruel eyes. The chaos creatures raised their weapons and charged spells, ready to finish with their opponents, when the shadow of the clouds above started to disperse, giving place to the rays of the sun.

The first shadow to receive the solar light let out a screech, as the energies in its body left it and dispersed in the air, making it seem that steam was exiting the body of the elemental shadow. The chaos being then started to melt, its matter spreading in the ground, forming a puddle that soon "evaporated".

One by one, the shadows that surrounded the troops have the same destiny, as the other shadows fighting against Meltokio's defenders. Soon half of what lasted of the army had practically being burnt by the sun. The human bandits that still in alive, seeing their inhuman allies defeated by the solar light and the King of the Summon Spirits, fled the battle.

Nebilim's fortress then started to move away and the soldiers cheered at the victory. Origin, Seles and Denvir looked to the floating city, with the same thought in their heads:

_Thank you..._

- - - - -

The party looked to the image of Tethe'alla's soldiers lifting their weapons in commemoration of that victory. They sighed in relief. It had been close, but they achieved to turn the scales. Sheena and Lloyd stood, recovered from the cold.

"We programed the fortress to stay near the borders of Gaorachia Forest, away of any nearby city. That may prevent any attack against other Tethe'alla's cities.", Yuan said, also relieved that they had reverted the situation.

"Then the only thing left is to defeat Kermish. We should recover our strengths before face him.", Regal stated.

The Summon Spirits then appeared. Now that Origin had left, they were just at six, but Sheena knew it was more than sufficient to deal with the crazed Chosen One. Maxwell spoke:

"I'll restore your energies once we back to the Space Tower. Now that we defeated good part of his generals and his advisor, there must be only one place for Nebilim to maintain this Kermish: the Throne Room at the highest tower of the castle. It was there that Vallor faced Nebilim in the last time."

"Kermish will be a powerful challenge. Not only he has the Devil's Arms at his side, but also he possess that gem Nebilim helped him to forge.", Presea said, stating how just powerful their adversary should be by now.

"And what so? We faced bad guys with incredible powers now and before and we defeated them all. We have the Summon Spirits and Vallor's family at our side, this is more than enough for us to win. Right guys?", Lloyd said, trying to be optimist.

Sheena, Colette, Merilius and Genis nodded at the red clad angel's statement. They had trained and prepared to that encounter and most of them was sure with all they had faced and overcame they would win Kermish, even if he could control that element Void he had spoken of.

"Then what are we all waiting for? The sooner we beat that guy, the sooner we can get out of this creepy city.", Zelos said and turned to Raine, who still looking to the stone tablet, now deactivated. "Hey Raine, it's time to go."

"But... I haven't time to study it yet and...", the half-elven teacher said, turning to them and meaning the control of the Heart.

"Please, Raaaiiine.", Zelos said in a begging tone and with great puppy-eyes, making practically impossible for Raine to say no.

"Alright... I doubt I would have time to dismount the net of spells of the controls anyway.", the mature woman said, sighing and walking to the rest of the group, which was already leaving.

Genis stayed mouth agape at seeing the pervert Chosen had actually convinced his sister with such trick. Asking to Zelos how he just did that, the red headed angel just give one of his idiot smiles as he said:

"The old, good Zelos' pleading, puppy face never fails, my boy. I can teach this to you someday if you want.", the swordsman patted Genis in his head and the boy wore his devious look again.

"I just wait you don't use it to convince Raine to forgive you after some slip you have done."

"What are you implying, brat?!"


	55. The Fallen Chosen One

*Starts to play "It can Wave a Fight"*

Super Smash Bros. Narrator: Ready.... GO!!!

**

* * *

Chapter 55**

**The Fallen Chosen One**

After back to the Space Tower and take a teleporter, the group arrived in an open-sky pathway that circulated one of the towers of the castle. Walking through it, they found four teleporters inside saliences on the surface of the tower. At the walls were the crystal balls that activated the portals and under them were letters engraved in the stone wall.

Vallor pointed to the third teleporter from right to left. The group went to there and the ancient hero said for Yuan to use his mana to press the letters in the wall to form the following word: Neran Bailium. While the blue haired half-elf pressed the letters, the rest of the group asked to the hero spirit what those words meant.

"It's Nebilim's full name in the language of his tribe. It's strange though. It means 'Chaos Envoy' and generally the demons are the ones called like this. I can't wonder why he would call himself like this knowing what the words mean. It could have caused serious trouble to him.", Vallor thought aloud, he never discovered why an elf's parents would give such name to their child, if Nebilim's parents were the ones that gave to him that name.

"Maybe when he was found it was the first thing that came to his head. Like his tribe was extinct, he probably knew nobody would discover his name was the short for this term.", Raine suggested.

"Whatever. I just know it fits for him.", Lloyd said.

When Yuan ended with press the now translucent letters, the teleporter was activated and they were teleported to the beginning of a covered, spiral staircase, leading to up. The group saw they were now at the central tower, almost at the level of the pointed roofs of the other castle's towers.

The Summon Spirits seized their presences and faded, saying the Throne Room had enchantments that could deny their mana if they stayed too much time in their solid form. Nebilim also could expel any spiritual presence from that room, but just if he could _sense_ it.

Walking through the long stair case, which gave three turns around the tower, they found a great double door of almost the same size of the castle's entrance door. Like the one at the entrance, this one was full of symbols and runes, some in elven and others that Raine and Yuan suspected were demonic. Lloyd and Merilius pushed the double door and opened the way to the Throne Room.

The howl of the winds silenced in the moment they entered the great room, the only illumination that was there came from the two great windows at the opposite wall to the door and an occasional flash of the thunders and lightnings that now were much close to the City of Darkness' area, due the storm that protected the floating fortress had been reduced to a little radius around the city.

There wasn't any decoration in the cold, stone walls, save by the one around the throne. There were statues of two elven warriors, much alike the ones that they saw in the entrance hall, but these ones had their swords held upwards, one blade touching another. Between the statues, there was the figure of a ferocious-looking, dragon demon, which had just the upper half of his body out of the wall. The rest of the body of the creepy statue mixed with the throne itself, where Kermish was sit. The throne was at the top of a small staircase, above the level of the door.

The ancient Chosen had his eyes closed, like he was sleeping in the throne. The angels in the group couldn't even hear his breathing. But again, they remembered Kermish was technically dead, so it should be natural. His hands were laying at the handlers of the stone throne.

As the group approached, the doors behind them closed, but they didn't get surprised at that. They hadn't the intention to leave that floating city until they beat Kermish for good. Sheena's necklace glowed and Vallor appeared, looking to the dark magician with a deadly serious look on his face. With an almost commanding tone, the ancient hero said:

"Kermish Kuromachi. By the crimes of spread terror upon this world, help an ancient evil that proved bend to destroy anything and total disrespect for the life, I, Vallor Ishtar, Guardian of the Life, sentence you to be banished from this plane and be sent to one that is befit for all of your crimes!", Kermish didn't answer, he just stayed the same way he was. The heroes found that much strange.

"What's wrong with him?", Lloyd asked.

"I don't know. But... I don't feel any presence in his body. It's like he's just an empty shell.", Sheena said.

Genis looked up the throne and gasped, calling the attention of the others. The little half-elf pointed to the head of the dragon demon statue. The eyes of the statue started to shine with a red-blood color and dark smoke came out of its mouth.

Nebilim's flaming shadow materialized at the middle of the smoke cloud, grinning. He turned to Kermish and opened his right hand, showing Doom's Blood. The dead Chosen One seemed to awake in that moment, he looked to Nebilim and stretched his right hand. The flaming wraith put the demon jewel on the deranged Chosen's hand and it glowed, creating another evil-looking Key Crest.

"Show off.", Zelos commented.

The Dark Lord's shadow then disappeared and Kermish looked to the party at his front. Smiling one of his mad smiles, the ancient Chosen stood and stretched his arms and neck, crackling them. The dark magician then spoke:

"It's in days like this that feels so good of being... alive. Interesting that we never pay much attention to simply things like this when we're alive."

"Really? Then sorry to say this, but you'll give twice the value to life when we send you right to the underworld.", Yuan said, drawing his saber. "You should have learned to consider that if life is so precious, you should respect the other's one."

"Whatever. Now I finally feel like myself again. All thanks to this little trinket...", Kermish held his right fist upward, showing Doom's Blood. "And I finally have all the power I need to bring the Void."

Part of the group sighed at hearing that speech again. They knew how much Kermish was obsessed about that thing of create a new element, but that subject was already starting to take on their nerves.

"Honestly Kermish, can't stop to think on this crazy idea of yours and start to think a little in all that it caused? Just look to what you're doing! Is this all worthy of let Nebilim loose and put the entire world in danger?", Merilius asked.

"Who said anything about I letting Nebilim loose?", Kermish chuckled, like that amused him. Merilius let out a "what?" once he heard this. "Why should I let that fossil have credit for all the hard work I have done? If you want to know, the terms of our pact were very clear..."

_The Tower of Salvation had collapsed, letting all the coffins with the bodies of the previous Chosen Ones fell. One coffin in particular was at the way to the dials of the Final Seal and near it was a presence that just those with spiritual sensibility could see._

_The aura of the spirit gave out a feeling of utter desperation and it seemed to be trying to open the coffin, though such action was nearly impossible for him to accomplish. The air around him also inspired denial. That spirit refused to accept his time in that world had ended and he would do anything to get his life back._

_Realizing his efforts wouldn't take him to anywhere, the spirit of the blond man started to beat the coffin with his translucent hands. Though he could feel the harsh surface of the metal, the material didn't suffer any change in its surface, even considering the spirit was beating it with all his "strengths". _

_He was starting to give up and knelled when a strange fog started to come from behind him, covering the ground. The spirit of the blond man looked around and heard a sound that seemed the one of something energizing behind him. When the spirit turned, his jaw fell._

_Behind him was a great dark sphere, twice his size. Sparks and lightnings came from it and the black matter of the sphere seemed to flow to its top. What impressed the spirit the most was the powerful presence he felt in the great mass of energy, it was like nothing he had ever seen in his entire life._

_The spirit of the blond man started to feel like that power was calling him, like it was inviting him to dive in all its glory. Approaching to the great sphere, he touched its flowing surface and the black matter started to flow to his arm and cover his being, but strangely, it didn't cause to him any pain or harm. He then felt the matter pulling him to inside the sphere._

_The interior of the energy ball was as dark as it seems outside, but something was shinning there: a flaming, humanoid figure. The figure gave out an entity-like presence to him. It had shinning, blood-red eyes and what seemed to be long hair, divided in thick strands. When the entity spoke, its voice sounded almost hypnotizing for him:_

"_I feel your sorrow and your anger by what they did to you, Kermish Kuromachi.", Kermish widened his eyes at hearing what the flaming spirit was speaking. "Yes, I know all about your life and, I must say, I'm quite impressed that someone is dedicating to the noble case of expanding the comprehension of magic to new levels._

"_Unfortunately, they eliminated you before you could achieve to do reach your objective and then they forgot about you, just because they were jealous of your abilities. Am I not right?"_

_Kermish nodded with the spirit. People had forget about him not because Yggdrasil used the Eternal Sword to erase their memories, but because they, in truth, envied him for everything he discovered, for all the power over magic he had gathered. He was the biggest scholar in the field of Study of Magic of his time._

"_I see you comprehend the extension of your capacity. Good, cause I happen to know a way for you to have your life back and, even better, for you to reach immortality, so time won't be problem in your studies. I also know how you can get enough power to forge your new element."_

_Again, Kermish widened his eyes. Could that being really know a way for him to live forever and even to get enough power to merge two opposite elements and form a new one? It seemed too much good to be true. When the flaming shadow spoke again, the doubts and suspects of the former Chosen seemed to vanish:_

"_All that I ask for you is to help me to get my body and my ancient powers back. Once you do this for me, I'll let you have the relic that may give you enough power to reach your objectives.", the wraith then extended his flaming hand to Kermish. "What do you say?"_

_The blond ghost stayed there, thinking in what the entity had said. Grinning, Kermish then looked to the burning wraith and held his hand. In that moment, rays of red light shot from their united fists..._

_The dark sphere disappeared as fast as it had appeared, leaving the scenery almost desolated. The coffin containing Kermish's body suddenly started to open its locks. When all the locks had been released, the inside of the coffin released an explosion that sent the coffin's lid flying._

_Two hands came from inside and grabbed the corners of the blue, metal vessel, followed by a body, which jumped and landed in the blur paths tot eh Final Seal. Kermish then looked to his hands, feeling the palms and the movements of his own body again. _

_The revived Chosen One let out an insane laughter..._

The group stayed silent as Kermish told that. Some where with wide eyes at hearing the deranged Chosen One had agreed with what Nebilim proposed. If the blond man agreed with that pact so easily and was acting like this, then that means he thought he could get the better on the Dark Lord.

Kermish smiled at seeing the heroes' expressions. For him, it was like they were just seeing how smart he had been in taking the best on Nebilim, the so dreadful Dark Lord that almost vanquished Vallor's lineage.

"See? I agreed I would help him, but I never agreed that I should _succeed_ on it. It's me who will bring the new element to this world. It's me who will use the Void to erase all the wrongs and problems of this world. And it's me who brought this city back to live...", Kermish opened his arms, meaning Nebilim's Fortress. "Why should I give credit to Nebilim by all the hard work _I_ did?!"

"Do you think is that simply to deceive him? Have all this power Nebilim presented to you deteriorated what was left of your mind?", Vallor asked, surprised for the first time they arrived in the fortress.

The ancient hero never saw anyone dumb enough to try and deceive Nebilim as openly as Kermish was doing. Nobody in its perfect sense would do this back in the Forgotten Ages. There was something wrong there and he could feel it.

"You fools simply can't understand that what I seek is much beyond Nebilim and his petty bickering.", Kermish said.

"'Bickering'?! Do you call everything Nebilim have done of bickering?", Lloyd asked, indignant by hearing that. "You simply didn't care about anything, but yourself and this stupid, selfish dream."

"You talk about your goal as it's something that worths any sacrifice, but none objective can be considered benefit if it'll bring pain and suffering to people.", Regal stated. "You forgot about your duties as the Chosen One and just used of your title to reach your selfish desires. Someone like you cannot be called of 'savior' or deserve the respect of anyone."

Kermish chuckled again. That attitude of the ancient Chosen had already got in the group's nerves. Vallor thought that the dead Chosen's behavior was part of Nebilim's influence, but Yuan claimed it was just Kermish's normal behavior. It was like Sheena had once said: compared to that crazed man, Zelos was a saint.

"So, are you just going to stay here without hearing any word of us?", Zelos made a rhetorical question. "Well, sorry by saying this, uncle Kermi, but we won't let you get away with everything you have done."

The deranged Chosen One shot an ugly look to Zelos when heard his nephew calling him like that. Merilius and Yuan chuckled at seeing the reaction. Kermish then started to walk forward, descending the steps.

"Alright. If you think you can beat me now that I have the Void in my side, I invite all of you to try. Once I end with you, I'll use the Void to erase all the mistakes that there is in this world and then I'll be remembered as the one that saved this world once for all.", Kermish said, his tone almost sounding dreamy. "You know, after all, Nebilim is right. This world is a total chaos and just by eliminating conflicting forces we can establish peace."

"But do you know what Nebilim made to 'establish peace and order'? He was a monster that killed everybody that he thought to get in his way.", Genis said. "He even killed people who couldn't defend themselves idiot excuse that they would try and fight him. Are you saying you will do the same thing?"

"Can't you see all the evil in your actions? You'll just make more people to suffer and die if you hear to Nebilim. If you really want, you can release yourself from your pact with Nebilim.", Colette spoke. "It's just you stop with all of this and we can..."

"ENOUGH!!!", Kermish shouted, making the entire group to draw their weapons. They didn't know if Kermish would attack or not, but the unstable temper of the mad Chosen was enough to put them into alert. "Now you're saying for I to turn back after I have reached my dream?! Don't be ridiculous! I now have everything I ever wanted and I won't let anyone stay in the way of my destiny. If for me to be the biggest Chosen One this world has ever saw I'll need to eliminate you, so be it!", Kermish then pointed to them and a great magic circle appeared under all the party.

Sparks came from the circle and electrocuted the group while some of them felt something being removed from inside them. Dark mist came out from Lloyd, Sheena, Colette, Genis and Presea, forming balls that shot to out of the circle, which disappeared, leaving the heroes to knell.

The dark spheres then shot a flash of dark light. When the heroes looked back, they saw dark images of the ones the mist had came from. Lloyd, Sheena, Colette, Genis and Presea widened their eyes at seeing their dark sides grinning to them.

"Pity that some of you had already been presented to your darkness, but there's still some anyway.", Kermish said, laughing. "You know, this is a good trick. At least it'll maintain some of you occupied and at the same time you can get to know all the sides of your loved ones... even those which you won't like! Huhuhu."

"Don't worry with us, we already beat our darkness one time and we can do it again.", Presea said, looking to her friends, as the shadows walked to them. "Fight with Kermish. We know you're more than enough to deal with him, right Lloyd?", the pink haired girl received a smile and a nod from her friend in red.

The five heroes then ran to face their darkness' projections while the other five turned to Kermish, who showed his dark-purple wings and had his arrogant smile on his face. Yuan looked to what was left of their group. He, Zelos and Merilius were powerful fighters, Regal was a medium fighter, but had a great resistance and Raine was a healer and light bearer.

"You won't win us Kermish, even if our friends can't fight on our side they still with us. Why can't you stop and learn the lesson that is in your front?", Raine said.

"If there's someone who will learn something today is you, and this lesson will cost your life.", the dead Chosen spoke, flying to the group of five in high speed and making Diablos to appear in his hand.

Yuan and Zelos defended the blow, holding the Devil's Arm at bay. Raine and Merilius charged light spells while Regal tried to hit Kermish, who flew backwards to avoid the blows. The half-elven teacher casted Photon while the descendant of the hero casted Light Spheres, but the two magic attacks missed, due Kermish teleported, in a weak flash of purple light, appearing near the throne.

Lloyd and the others were clashing against their dark sides, which often made some kind of comment at each blow or time they broke their defenses. Though the dark projections sought to eliminate their complete self, their attacks sometimes caught other members of the party around. The group of five had to double their attention in that fight.

Yuan, Regal and Merilius tried to attack Kermish, who projected invisible shields with his hands or defended using a Devil's Arm, which materialized instantaneously at his hand. Regal, Zelos and Raine felt like they were battling against Abyssion again, just this time their enemy had a bigger repertoire of magic attacks.

The ancient Chosen had casted Dark Judgment, which made them all cast their protective techniques twice, and teleported near to Yuan. Nebilim swords materialized in Kermish's hands and he used Sonic Sword Rain on the former Seraphim, who didn't have time to defend. While the blue haired half-elf was pushed away by the final thrust, Merilius charged his blade with light mana and started to attack with quick and accurate blows, but the dead Chosen One made Nebilim disappear and "drew" the Heart of Chaos, using it to block each one of Merilius' attacks.

"Suffer Well!", the deranged man said, thrusting his cursed staff in the ground. Immediately, a magic circle appeared under Merilius and shot a pillar of light on him, draining his energies at great rate. Regal kicked the foul weapon from the ground, interrupting the magic.

Kermish turned to the blue-haired president and changed the Heart of Chaos for Apocalypse and Gates of Hell, the last one he put on the back of his hands, transferring the power to his knuckles. The dead Chosen started to attack Regal with kicks, punches and other blows of martial arts that the president recognized as being Mizuho's fight style.

The former convict jumped behind to defend from the blows of the dead Chosen and even tried to use Mirage to avoid and position himself behind Kermish, but the dark magician spun around and hit him with a round house kick. While Regal tried to recover from the powerful blow, the deranged Chosen One punched him in the face. The strength of the blow, which was reinforced with the power of the Gates of Hell, blew the company president out.

"Holy Lance!", Raine casted the spell, catching Kermish off guard for the first time in the battle, but she soon discovered it wasn't a good idea to hit the insane warrior without a backup.

Kermish teleported to the front of Raine, backhanded her and caught her throat, lifting she from the ground and using Dark Fire Seal on her. The female researcher could have gone without so much problem if wasn't for the dark magician to call for Soul Eater and charge it with darkness mana.

"Shallow this... Shadow Blow!", Kermish pronounced, hitting Raine while she still being held by him. A gash was made on the half-elf's belly, which left a dark line. Like in Light Strike, the wound absorbed a great amount of the darkness mana around and exploded, taking the older woman down.

"Raine! You bastard!!!", Zelos shouted.

Abandoning any strategy the red headed Chosen tried to hit Kermish with strong strikes, but even with enchanted speed, the deranged Chosen One defended all, with a mocking expression on his face. When Zelos tried to cut his uncle with a wide, sword blow, the dark magician teleported to the angel's back and called Fafnir to his other hand.

"I'll make you learn to show respect for you elders. Slash Rain!", in blinking speed, Kermish slashed at Zelos with his two Devil's Arms several times. The red haired Chosen was immobilized by the pain when the dead magician ended.

Kermish then dismissed Fafnir and called Diablos. He started to spin with the two weapons in his stretched hands, turning into a dark blur, which hit Zelos again several times. To end the rain of blows, Nebilim's puppet cut his nephew from down to up, hitting him across the chest.

Zelos was launched backwards, almost going unconscious from the pain and energy those blows took from him. The sound of an Explosion spell falling behind him made the angel swordsman to jolt the head up. Kermish started to charge a spell and casted Shadow Spear against the red haired Chosen. Before the lances hit its target, Yuan flew to Zelos and teleported with him to Nebilim's puppet's back.

Merilius used Earth Rage while Kermish was trying to see where Zelos and Yuan had gone and hit the dead Chosen, who counter attacked by reuniting energies around him and releasing them at the form of an explosion of darkness, like the one Kair'Nor used.

While the Child of the Light maintained Kermish occupied, Regal went to Raine and used a Life Bottle on her. The female researcher then opened her eyes and slowly knelled, still felling the pain of the wounds infliction on her.

From the other side of the room, high levels spells, beams of light and sounds of metal clashing against metal were by the entire place. The battle against the heroes' darkness was a very ferocious one. Lloyd achieved to take some advantage on his dark side, by using aerial variations of his techniques.

Colette and Sheena, seeing their weapons were useless against their shadows, decided to go on a melee battle, but using their techniques of elemental control. It had given to them the element surprise, since their dark projections didn't know what to wait from a corporeal fight. Presea blocked and avoided the attacks of her shadow, she knew speed wasn't her best attribute, so she would use it against her darkness to tire it out until she could counter without problem.

Genis was the one with the most difficulty. He only knew to attack with spells and each one of his magic attacks were answered by his dark projection. It seems the only way for him to win the battle was to see who will use all of his mana first. If wasn't by the magical protection that the entire castle have on itself, the young warlock was sure his and his darkness' attacks would have already reduced the room to wreckages.

From his place, the little magician saw Kermish beating out his sister. Genis tried to go to her, but that moment was enough to his darkness' projection cast Tidal Wave and wash the silver haired boy away. Dark Genis grinned at seeing his complete self coughing water after the spell had passed.

"You should concentrate in fighting. If Raine really wanted our help or liked us, she wouldn't being dating that idiot Chosen against our will.", Dark Genis sneered, preparing another spell.

"I trust my sister. If she chose him, then she knows what she's doing.", Genis defended. Flame Lance came against Genis, as he casted Thunder Blade, both the magics hit its targets, leaving the battle undecided about who obtained some advantage.

Merilius casted Shinning Seal on Kermish, but the dead Chosen One easily broke the magic shackles and teleported to near the Child of the Light, making appear in his hands Soul Eater. The dark magician used Victory Light Spear and descended in the air, trying to cleave his adversary. Sparks were produced when the cursed blade touched the ground, but it had cut nothing, the light warrior had teleported to near Zelos and Yuan.

In that moment, Raine casted Revitalize, healing partially her wounds and restoring the group's energy. Whispering quickly for Zelos to distract Kermish and for Merilius to cast Shinning Seal, Yuan gave signal for the two to go. The red headed Chosen tried to hit his predecessor with his techniques, but he avoided all. Merilius then casted Shinning Seal, giving to Yuan the little time he needed.

"Thunder Arrow!", three electric spheres appeared around Kermish, as he narrowed his eyes. Quicker then the eyes could catch, Kermish teleported from the center of the triangle formed by the three spheres, reappeared near Lloyd, grabbed the boy before he could notice and teleported to inside the triangle, holding Lloyd upwards and using him as a shield against the coming lightnings.

The Eternal Swordsman then was bombarded by his friends' magic. When the last lightning fell, Kermish took the opportunity and used Dark Fire Seal on the red clad angel, burning some of his clothes and skin. The deranged Chosen One then threw Lloyd away once he had done with the boy.

Yuan and the others were surprised by the quick reaction of the dead Chosen, Kermish got more powerful than they have thought. Nebilim's puppet grinned at seeing the adults' expressions and said:

"That's so easy... but unfortunately I'm a very busy man, so I'll have to end with you. But first...", Kermish charged another spell. A green-poison circle appeared under him. "Let's test the power of my new element on you. Void Star!"

The spell was casted near Zelos, Yuan and Merilius, making a rune circle to appear between them. Spheres of light shot sprouted from the ground and shot to them, they tried to use the defensive techniques, but the spheres entered the shields and involved their torso, pulling the three warriors to inside the circle. A great pillar of light rose, bombarding the group with light mana. Though it didn't harm them too much, they could feel a strange energy raising around them.

The light mana started to form a great sphere, as the pillar started to fade, and the group felt darkness mana joining on the sphere, creating sparks that electrocuted them, making the three companions now feel pain. Inside the sphere, appeared an image that seemed to be the space, with thousands of shinning stars. When the sphere covered the three adults' heads it exploded releasing a great amount of energy different from anything they felt before.

Zelos and Yuan flew and hit the walls, leaving a deep impression on it, Merilius slided in the ground. The three had burns by all over their bodies, their armors were totally destroyed and the mana in their bodies was agitated. Genis and Sheena stopped their combats to look to their friends, they have sensed the energies formed of the fusion between darkness and light mana and couldn't believe that Kermish had actually succeeded in using his element to attack them.

Inside Sheena's necklace, Vallor had also felt the result of the fusion between the two opposite elements, but he wasn't surprised by that, he was confused. Communicating with the Summon Spirits that were around that room the hero spirit received the confirmation of his suspects.

"Such great power... now see it, fools?! The Void is the new element, the most powerful of all, which will erase all the problems of this world! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to erase your existence... I think this must be because it was just the first stage of my control over the Void. Oh well, it's like they say: practice leads to perfection.", Kermish said, letting out a laugher.

Raine tried to cast Revitalize, but discovered the mana of her friends was so unstable that the healing spell seemed to be rejected by their bodies, she would need to wait until their mana stabilized again and that could take some time. Sheena and Genis returned to their fight, the other group of five was getting the upper hand on the combat against their darkness, but it would still take time for them to defeat their dark sides.

Regal again tried to land a blow on Kermish while Raine charged another spell. The dead Chosen One teleported away of the company president and called for the Evil Eye, making it to float besides his hand and spin at great speed.

"Mortal Wheel!", the deranged magician threw the two spinning chackrans at Raine and Regal, but before the cursed items could reach them, two swords blocked the advance of the chackrans.

Zelos and Merilius tried to defend their friends from the cursed items, which produced sparks as tired to break the weapons at their way. The two swordsmen pushed the weapons away, making them to lose speed and fell in the ground. To their horror, Kermish was already charging another spell and, by the green-poison circle beneath him, it was another Void spell.

"Void Spring!", the spell was aimed in Regal. The blue haired fighter got imprisoned inside a great ice crystal, which soon erupted in flames and melted. Then a great pillar of flaming water came from the ground, launching him upwards. The spell seemed some kind of mix between Absolute and Spread, but with fire to link them.

Regal hit the floor with a thud, the armor beneath his clothes was destroyed and he felt strange, like his vital energy was clashing against another, trying to invade his body. One thing he knew, he wouldn't be able to fight using his mana in that state.

Yuan and Merilius attacked in group again, but when Kermish flew some feet behind he again reunited the energies around him in his body and released another explosion. The group started to use their healing items to recover their strengths, but even that was proving to not be sufficient in that fight.

Kermish casted Suffer Well on Raine, draining her mana. Merilius tried to use a spell on the dead Chosen, but discovered his mana still too much disorganized for him to concentrate on use the elemental mana around him.

_[i]C'mon, think on something! We'll die if I don't come up with a plan.[/i]_, Merilius urged himself while Zelos tried to slash Kermish, but the Chosen was learning again that it wasn't wise to attack his uncle without a plan.

An idea came to Merilius, but that would require for him to recover the control over his own mana. Stopping, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, the Child of the Light concentrated on the internal battle that was occurring between his mana and the energies of the spell that hit him. After some seconds, the light warrior reestablished the equilibrium of his mana and opened his eyes, assuming a summoning stance.

Kermish hit Zelos with Eternal Damnation and the darkness version of Light Thrust, blowing the red haired Chosen out. The dark magician casted Shadow Lance, hitting the actual Tethe'alla's Chosen One before he could defend and bombarding him with dark beams. The swordsman angel fell to the ground, but still conscious. The ancient Chosen called for Soul Eater and prepared to deliver the final blow, when he heard a summoning chant behind him:

"Light of the heavens, protector of our paths. Thy children call for thee. I summon you, come Luna!", the illuminated entity appeared at the front of Kermish, who just smiled.

The dead Chosen could easily banish her from that room, but before he could concentrate on do this, he heard another summoning chant, calling for Efreet. Looking to where Sheena was, Kermish saw she had froze the legs of her dark side in the ground, by attaching enchanted seal cards on its feet.

Before the ancient Chosen could think on something, Luna casted Shinning Seal on him, effectively binding him. Efreet appeared behind Kermish and charged one of his most powerful spells. Before the mad magician could release himself, the burning entity casted Flame Tower, bombarding the dead Chosen with flames, Luna casted her version of Judgment, making several light beams to hit Nebilim's puppet.

However, the light attacks didn't make much effect on Kermish. Merilius guessed it should be because that he wasn't being sustained by Nebilim's magic anymore, but by Doom's Blood, which should have energy different from the Dark Lord's magic.

When the two Summon Spirits disappeared, Kermish finally broke the seal and seemed angry. Merilius and the others reunited, trying to think on a strategy. Kermish called for Soul Eater and launched Demonic sphere, making the group of five to disperse. The dead Chosen teleported to near Yuan and used Slash Rain at him, followed by a Light Spear attack, using Nebilim's cursed sword and ax, which he called Spiral Blades.

Yuan jumped above Kermish when he tried to hit him with a wide cut. The dead Chosen turned to behind, ready to stab the Seraphim, but discovered he stayed at the air, when saw the edge of the sword coming to his face. The deranged man backed a little, but when the blue haired half-elf landed he saw the dark mage didn't have any wound on his forehead, he probably had a magical protection on him.

A screech called the attention of the fighters and they turned to see that Colette had grabbed the throat of her dark image and used a charged of light mana on it, effectively destroying her darkness' projection. The blond girl was with several wounds on her arms and legs and some superficial ones in the cheeks and forehead. It seemed she had battled against a fierce beast and had barely escaped.

The Chosen One of Sylvarant turned to Kermish and quickly threw a chackran at him. The dark magician batted the projectile away, but saw Colette flying to him at great speed. The white clad girl grabbed the insane man by his collar with one hand and started to spin at great speed, don't leaving to him a chance to escape. She threw him to Yuan, who smiled at seeing his blond friend entering in the combat.

As the powerful angel slashed at Kermish with Thunder Slices and blew him out with Shock Spin, Lloyd and Sheena had ended with their own dark images. Genis still in a fierce magic battle against his shadow. Presea was avoiding the attacks of her dark image, which now was panting. The pink haired girl had some cuts on her body.

The two lovers entered in the battle against Kermish, who have recovered and now was attacking Colette with powerful blows of Diablos. When the dead Chosen broke the blond angel's defense with Shadow Blow, he changed to Nebilim's dual swords and used Beast Sword Rain on the young girl. When Colette was pushed away, stunned by the strong blow, Nebilim's puppet was ready to teleport to her but was stopped by Sheena and Lloyd, which tried to attack him, but missed when he flew back.

"Well, well, you're tougher than it seems. I knew those petty dark projections wouldn't take care of you.", Kermish said. "But in the end, all will have the same result: you will be erased by the Void."

"I wouldn't say this, you asshole.", Sheena spoke. "You could have some advantage when you separated us in the beginning, but now you're done for it."

A cry of Meteor Storm called the group's attention. Genis had casted his most powerful spell when he distracted his dark image, by casting Freeze Lancer and getting the time he needed. Dark Genis tried to protect from all the falling rocks, but when his magic shield went down he was hit merciless by the hard stones. To end, the warlock casted Indignation while his dark side still in the air. Without how to avoid the attack, Genis' darkness projection exploded in a cloud of dark mist when was hit by the powerful lightning magic.

Panting and sweating, the young magician turned to Sheena and Lloyd and smiled, like saying he was alright. Presea also ended with her darkness when it tried to attack her with a wide blow, but was too slow and the girl caught the dark copy of her ax and took it from her dark side's hands, slashing at it with the weapon. Dark Presea also turned into a cloud of dark smoke, which soon evaporated in the air.

Kermish sighed, looking bothered at the fact his adversaries had defeated their dark projections. While the heroes grouped, the dead Chosen murmured to himself, but sufficiently loud for the angels of the group to hear:

"Another motive for me to replace Nebilim, that guy doesn't know how to make a good battle plan. Well, considering he lived in the prehistorical age...", the ancient Chosen One looked to the group, wearing another of his arrogant smiles. "It seems it's time for us to go serious, don't you think?"


	56. Void, Blood and Betrayal

Are you liking this fight? Well, here's the second part of the final battle with _Kermish_.

Now let's see how our heroes will kikc the ass of the psycho, insane, nut case overlord.

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Chapter 56

**Void, Blood and Betrayal**

A barrage of dark beams and Shadow Balls flew against them. Since Kermish started to "go serious" the group had to avoid countless magic attacks from the deranged Chosen. He didn't throw that quantity of beams and Shadow Balls before. The group could only assume it was the effect of Doom's Blood.

The dead Chosen One grinned like a manic while he made to rain spells under his enemies, but he failed in notice Colette charging Judgment and Genis charging Cyclone. The two spells were unleashed and hit Kermish, but the insane man seemed little or not affected by them.

Kermish again teleported, appearing near the ones attacked him and using Ring Cyclone. Colette and Genis were pushed and their enemy went to the blond angel, calling for the Soul Eater and using Victory Light Spear and Super Lightning Blade on her. Lloyd and Zelos tried to catch him, but Kermish had already teleported away and reappeared near Raine, who was charging a healing spell.

The dark magician grabbed the half-elven teacher by her hair and violently pulled her up, releasing his grip as she left the ground. He charged dark energies in his fist and hit Raine with strength while she was falling, the blow took the air out of her lungs. Before she could react Kermish again grabbed her, now by her face, and shot a dark ray on the female researcher, blowing her out.

Genis shouted for his sister, trying to get to her when he saw she couldn't even move from the pain and the energies. Raine tried to warn him to stay behind, but it was too late. Kermish appeared behind the little half-elf and threw a Shadow Ball at his back. The young warlock was hit and fell, trying to get rid of the dark veil that tried to consume him.

Presea, Regal and Merilius tried to retaliate, but the dark magician simply batted their attacks like he had made before. Colette, with her hands glowing by the light manipulation technique, achieved to "rip" the black sheath covering her silver haired friend. Genis stuttered a thanks and tried to get up, shaking from head to the bottom.

The ax wielder was thrown backwards, at Genis direction, when Kermish hit her with Heart of Chaos, leaving the blond puppet free to deal with the Child of the Light and the company president. Deciding to try something new, he called for Disaster and swung the spiked ball like it was a whip. Regal was caught by some blows while Merilius achieved to use his Runeblade to block and deflect the attacks with sword blows. Grinning another insane smile, the dead Chosen made Disaster's string tie around the light warrior, who couldn't defend from that attack.

Kermish then pulled Merilius from the ground just to beat him at it, making a slight impact wave. The ancient Chosen did it again three times before release Vallor's descendant at midair, tossing him at the wall. Yuan now tried to maintain Nebilim's puppet occupied as his friends thought on a plan. If they still in that way, that deranged Chosen One would defeat them.

Zelos and Regal had to substitute Raine as the healers of the team, Lloyd had managed to calm down the almost desperate red headed Chosen and needed to grab him, using all his strength to not let him go after Kermish by himself. The half-elven teacher didn't show signals that she could move, a thin line of blood came from her mouth and her body was totally limp, the dark ray had drained all the strength from her muscles, leaving her almost in a living shell state. She still could speak, but with a weak voice, almost a whisper.

The swordsman Chosen closed his fists, swearing he would find a way to make Kermish pay by that. Sheena didn't know how to support her friends and the fallen Chosen never stayed much time at a same place, what could difficult a summoning attack.

A yelp of pain from Yuan made the group turn to look at him. Kermish had managed to stop an attack of the Seraphim and was holding his wrist, burning it with dark energies that emanated from his hand. The deranged Chosen started to punch the blue haired half-elf in the face, leaving burns in his face. With a powerful knee blow, he made Yuan bend and called for the Evil Eye, placing it above Yuan's neck.

Knowing what Kermish intended to do, Colette flew to him and catch the blond-opaque man's hand, which stopped inches from Yuan's neck. The ancient Chosen One looked to the glowing hand that was holding him back and to its owner, throwing the angel on his grip aside. Smiling, the possessed angel directed the Eye's blade to Sylvarant's Chosen and started to approach it to her.

The blond girl gridded her teeth, trying to maintain the hand of the deranged man away of her face, but he was too strong. She then kicked him in the gut, making the insane Chosen to back away, and threw Triple Ray Satellite at him. Sparks were produced when the three, spinning chackrans hit the barrier around Kermish's body. The light bearer also tried to threw Para Ball at him, but her adversary waved his hand at his front, leaving a dark-pitch line at the movement, which shallowed the two projectiles, making them disappear of sight.

Kermish looked to Colette with pure hatred in his eyes, the same look of berserker rage he gave to Lloyd when the boy talked about his insane dream or when one defied and landed a blow on him. The angel girl backed a little at his gaze, but recovered and tried to maintain her stance. The deranged angel then flew to the light bearer at high speed, who tried to attack him, but wasn't quick enough. Nebilim's puppet grabbed her hands and hit her head with a head butt, leaving a red mark on the light bearer's forehead.

Letting one of Colette's hands go while she still stunned, a spiral of dark energy appeared around Kermish's hand and he thrust it at Colette's chest. The group gasped at seeing that, the energies at the hand of the dead Chosen remembered them of a drill. The blond girl felt some scratches appearing over her torso, but it was inside that she was feeling the true force of the attack. That dark drill was attacking her mana directly.

After Kermish ended his attack, he called for Soul Eater and Diablos, spinning with the weapons in his hands, using the same spin attack he used on Zelos. Colette knelled at the pain of all those blows while Kermish teleported some meters away of her, charging another Void spell.

"Void Blade!", Kermish launched what seemed to be an Air Blade, but it started to lift rocks around and cut it with wind blades, making them to explode. The front of the spell, seemed to crackle with some kind of energy.

Colette tried to use Damage Guard. The spell hit her barrier, trying to break it like a drill and succeeding. The blond angel was hit by several wind blades and hard rocks, all enchanted with strange energies to increase the damage. The white clad girl then fell behind, her clothes as died as Sheena's with her own blood. When she didn't move, Yuan flew to her while Kermish just stayed at his place, gazing at the scene with an arrogant look, like found all of that pathetic.

"Your futile defiance is already making my patience run short. Give up now and let the Void consume you all, or I'll make you feel more pain than you ever felt in you entire life.", Kermish said, holding his hand near his face and making it glow with dark energies.

How could they defeat that powerful overlord when he seemed to simply bat away all their attempts and could take down their best fighters easily? Raine didn't seem to recover from her near death experience and Zelos and Merilius were casting healing spells at safe distance to the rest of the members of the group, but it didn't help much with the "heal block" effect of the blows.

"Well, as you don't speak anything, I assume you still trying to stubbornly defy me. So be it!", Kermish prepared to cast another Void spell. "I'll make you feel so much pain that you'll beg for me to kill you!"

Lloyd flew to the front of Yuan and Colette, sensing the spell was directed to them. Sheena felt a strong urge to run after him, but her sense kicked in, saying it wouldn't make any good if she also got hit by the spell. The female ninja then tried to think quickly on something. Remembering of one of their tough, previous battles, she came up with an idea.

Using reinforced concentration to haste the spell casting, Sheena quickly pronounced the summoning chant of Shadow. The dark entity appeared and the raven haired woman told him to cast Energy Well on Kermish. She had sensed the energies that were reuniting in the dark magician for him to cast the spell, maybe she could deny those energies...

Shadow nodded and made the great dark hole appear beneath Kermish, at the same time he called for the Void Spring spell. Instead of the energies of the spell call for the elemental mana and the Void energy to form the magical attack, they were sucked by the spell beneath the dead Chosen's feet. Seeing that nothing happened and feeling the energies of his spell being sucked, Nebilim's puppet looked below and saw the dark hole.

Suddenly, other type of energy started to be sucked by the well, Kermish's own. Shadow faded before the dead Chosen could banish him from the room and left the group confused, looking to Kermish, who was with wide eyes and felt part of his strength leave him. Snapping out of their surprised state, the heroes realized they finally got an opening to attack.

Presea and Regal jumped in and started to attack Kermish with all their strengths. The dead Chosen tried to use his magical blocks, but even those were sucked by the spell beneath him, which was now losing its effect, but not before the party could take their revenge by all the pain that insane man had inflicted upon them. Rocks and kicks assaulted the deranged magician.

Zelos left Raine at care of Sheena and joined in the fray, using his own techniques and uniting with Presea to use the Arch Wind Unison Attack. Lloyd came too, with quick stabs and powerful slashes. The Eternal Swordsman and Regal even used Phoenix Fall, throwing Kermish at the ground and making the magical protection over him to crumble. The young man achieved to slightly pierce Kermish's chest, making a small hole in his clothes and burning his skin, superficially but enough for the dead Chosen to feel it.

Kermish teleported away of them and started to charge another spell, but was paralyzed by something. Struggling to look below, he saw an electric-blue circle around him and heard Genis' voice shouting:

"I'll show you what happens when someone tries to kill us! Indignation Judgment!", several lightnings bombarded Kermish, who couldn't even got away by teleporting, followed by a massive, magical sword and seal lines that resembled the ones of Photon, which closed around the hilt of the sword and exploded all the mana around in powerful light energies.

Kermish was pushed backwards and started to pant, those attacks made a good damage on him, but he wasn't going to stop fighting now. Genis and the others reunited, Sheena helped Raine and Yuan had already helped Colette to drink a Life Bottle. The blond angel was recovering better than her silver haired Professor.

"Give up?", Presea asked in a sharp tone, her ax edge's pointed to him.

"No...", Kermish then stretched his arms and wings, as three magic circles appeared at his front. "Way! Shadow Lance!"

The magical, dark dances shot to the party, but a double cry of Judgment was what called their attention. Colette and Merilius had casted the spell at the same time and were using all their concentration to make the beams to fall where they wanted. It had worked, the light beams fell over the lances, dispersing them before they could touch the group, the ones that escaped were bounced back by the combined defense of Zelos, Sheena and Lloyd.

The dead Chosen appeared at the front of the group, Fafnir and Soul Eater at hand. Yuan, Zelos and Lloyd came forth and defended the group from the Slash Rain that came. The heroes dispersed, leaving the three swordsmen to defend. Kermish dismissed the two weapons and called for Diablos, using Shadow Blow to break the defense of his adversaries and again dismissing his current weapon to call for Nebilim twin blades and using Beast Sword Rain at them.

While the three warriors were stunned, Kermish approached them and started to reunite energy in his body, ready to release it. Sheena's necklace glowed for the first time since they started the battle. The voice of the ancient hero came:

"This man is already taking in my nerves. Leave your mind blank again Sheena.", the female Child of the Light did so and when she noticed, Vallor's knowledge had allowed her to instantaneously summon Maxwell and gave to him an order to cast some spell around Kermish.

A transparent bubble closed around the dead Chosen when he released the dark explosion. The inner surface absorbed the energy of the explosion and reflected it back to Kermish, stunning him. Sheena realized what had just happened and smirked, running to the deranged Chosen One.

Before Kermish could fully realize what had happened, Sheena stared to beat him using earth mana to harden her fists and feet, making it seem her limbs were made of metal. The female ninja used the quickest moves of her village's martial arts to don't leave the dark magician a chance to slip away. To finish, she used her cards and blew him out.

Genis used Meteor Storm and Colette attacked with her long range techniques. Merilius also joined to the attack on Kermish, slashing him with his quick and strong attacks. The Runeblade of the half-elf produced sparks on the dark magician's body as it hit him. The dark-blue haired warrior pushed his adversary away with Light Thrust.

Griding his teeth, Kermish decided he have had enough of them and started to launch again a barrage of darkness spells, including Fear Flow and Suffer Well. The heroes had to jump from one place to another and roll at the ground to not be hit. They didn't find any opening or time to attack Kermish now.

Vallor decided to contact Merilius, who was the one that was farer from Kermish. The ancient hero asked for Sheena to go to her cousin and make physical contact with him. The female ninja found that request a rather strange, but decided to cooperate when a Shadow Ball passed buzzing by the side of her head.

Unfortunately, Kermish saw Sheena running to Merilius and threw several spells on her, making the young woman again to show all her agility and flexibility. If wasn't by the fact she was being attacked by an insane, murderous overlord, the grand summoner would have been impressed at her own body's capacity.

"Ok! Now I'm tired of this!", Sheena said, avoiding another Fear Flow. She then threw all the smoke bombs she could grab on Kermish's direction. A dark beam hit one of the bombs and it exploded, releasing the smoke inside it. Other shots detonated the other bombs and soon the dark magician couldn't see anything.

Sheena then caught up Merilius and touched his shoulder. The older Child of the Light heard the voice of his noble ancestor in his head:

"Merilius, leave your mind blank. I'll help you to defeat this berserker puppet of Nebilim."

The light warrior did as he was told. He felt knowledge that wasn't his flowing into his mind and his lips moving without his command, Vallor was using his body to cast a spell. Sheena felt her mana flowing into Merilius' body, her ancestor probably wanted for her to help her cousin. The female ninja also left her mind blank and felt the hero of the Forgotten Ages take the command of her lips.

The smoke finally dissipated and Kermish saw Sheena and Merilius chanting a spell together. Knowing whatever they would cast together couldn't mean a good thing for him, the deranged Chosen started to charge a powerful Shadow Ball spell, but before he had the chance to cast it, a blue sapphire sword came and slashed at his belly. Looking to the owner of the sword, he saw Zelos smirking at him.

Griding his teeth, the dead Chosen tried to blast his nephew with dark energies, but when he rose his hand to throw the charge it was held by another small hand. Looking back, Kermish saw Colette and before he could anything more blades started to attack him, the ones that belonged to Lloyd and Yuan.

"Ancient spirits of the light help us to protect those we held dear from the ones with bad intents. May the Light of the Heavens and the Sun banish all the evil ones away. Sun Blade!", the angels that were attacking Kermish flew away once they heard their two friends recite what seemed to be an Unison Attack.

Shinning Seal bound Kermish, but this time, it was stronger than before, not allowing the dark magician to escape. Two lines of light balls appeared around the derange Chosen, one at his level, other above him and smaller than the previous one and one great light sphere was directly above him. Swords that resembled the ones of Holy Lance shot from the lights balls, piercing the insane man's body, a bigger one fell from the top sphere. Lines of sparking energy started to link all the spheres, creating a dome around Nebilim's puppet. The spaces between the lines were filled with pure light mana and started to concentrate the light that came from the windows of the room and any light mana around.

Kermish looked utter horrified by sensing the great power that was gathering around him. He tired to teleport away, but the Shinning Seal spell that bound him, plus the magic swords, didn't allow him any way to escape. Beams of light shot from the rectangles and hit the dead Chosen, making him to scream in pain as he felt the energies burning his entire being. His body started to shine with the accumulated energies, as well as the rest of the dome. Then everything released a powerful explosion of light, making the entire magical structure to dissipate in thousands of tiny light points.

The heroes had to shield their eyes due the bright flash that came. They still hearing Kermish cry in pain as they felt other types of energy being destroyed with the magic. When the light faded, they looked back to the ancient Chosen One, who was falling, his eyes were with an expression of shock in them. Kermish's wings dissipated in several points of dark-purple light while the deranged man mumbled:

"But... I couldn't... lose...", Kermish fell with a thud and remained immobile in the ground.

Sheena and Merilius knelled while their friends ran to them to congratulate the two relatives for the great work. Eating some Pineapple Gels, they stood and received the compliments of their friends with blushes on their faces, Merilius' face was the brightest one.

"Hum... thanks everybody. Just don't ask me to do this anytime soon again. That magic drained much of our mana.", the group laughed at the comment.

The Devil's Arms then came from inside Kermish's pockets and flew to the party, surrounding them. The group got startled by that and soon prepared for the case of the cursed items to attack. However, Vallor appeared and spoke for them that they didn't need to fight. The heroes got confused, but saved their questions when a white crack appeared in one of the Devil's Arms.

A ray of light came from the crack and it started to spread through the cursed item. The same was happening to the other Devil's Arms, which started to spin at great speed. With bright flashes, the weapons exploded, releasing glass-like fragments that dissipated in a dark fog. When the heroes could see again, in the place of the nine foul weapons there were nine small, shinning, yellow crystals.

With wide eyes, the heroes saw the crystals coming to them and stopping at their front. Some of unsure about that, they didn't know if they should touch the bright gems. The group looked to Vallor, who looked to them with a smile as he nodded.

Deciding to take a chance, Sheena was the first to touch in the crystal at her front. The small gem emitted some light and separated in two halves, which flew to Sheena's hands and embedded at the back of her gloves. The ninja observed as her hands started to glow with the powerful energy of the crystals and two cards, made out of pure light, appeared in her hands.

The rest of the group had similar effects. Regal and Colette also had their crystals divided and embedded in their feet and gloves, creating respective weapons made out of light for them. To the others, the crystal directly produced weapons, transforming into hilts and cables and making blades of light. To each one of the group, the weapons had took incredible forms, from ones that seemed divine to others that carried powerful look.

"They're... amazing...", Lloyd whispered, looking to his two new swords, with the halves of the crystal in the part that the hilt connected with the blade. The swords looked similar to his Material Blades but with slight difference in the format of the blades and in the power that emanated from them.

"They're beautiful.", Colette said, looking to her new chackrans that resembled two angel wings united at the points, with the feathers being the sharp part.

The Summon Spirits appeared, seeming very happy to see the light weapons. Vallor then explained to the about the new weapons:

"These are the Divine Souls, the weapons that were made to only be used by one, or ones, with the hearts and souls of true heroes. They took the form that is the most befitting to their wielders, according to their minds and hearts. Like you saw, the crystal can multiple into several copies of itself for each one of the group to have one Divine Soul."

"They can also merge together again if just one need to battle against a very powerful enemy.", Maxwell explained, with a proud tone in his voice. "They were united when Vallor sealed Nebilim, but it seems now the curse has finally been lifted and the weapons came back to their original state. Like we told you before, these weapons have the ability to identify the energy of an evil one and produce an answer against it, which will nullify his powers."

"Then you mean the weapons choose us and took these forms according to our hearts?", Genis asked, holding a Kendama that had runes and designs which made it seem to have been made by some magical and powerful people.

The Summon Spirits nodded. The group looked back to their weapons and Zelos started to say something about they now should call him the "Divine Angel Hero Zelos" or something like that. Raine giggled at that while Sheena sighed. The female summoner than looked to her cousin and saw he didn't receive any crystal.

The young woman called her ancestor's attention and asked why Merilius hadn't received a Divine Soul. The light warrior heard that and approached to where his cousin was while Luna, who was near to Vallor, explained:

"Merilius' Runeblade was made using almost the same knowledges that were used to forge the Divine Souls, so he technically has his own version of a Divine Soul.", the Light of the Heaven said in a sweet tone.

"But I carry a dagger that is like his sword and even so...", Sheena tried to object, but was interrupted by Merilius.

"Then maybe I just don't want one.", the beautiful ninja looked to her cousin, asking why. "I got used to this weapon by my entire life and it has almost the same powers that the original Divine Souls have. Leave it be Sheena."

The grand summoner wanted to reply, but decided to respect the wish of her cousin. The group stopped to admire and speak about their new weapons when they heard a mumble. Turning on their wheels, they looked to Kermish, who was trying to stand, but could just knell and support himself with his hands.

"Oh c'mon, didn't you learn your lesson yet, uncle Kermi?", Zelos exclaimed, seeming annoyed by the possibility of another battle against the deranged overlord. "You'll never defeat us and do you know why? Cause you're just a selfish guy who would even destroy the world using any idiot excuse."

Kermish didn't give any signal he was hearing to his nephew, he was just looking to the ground, mumbling something incoherent. Slowly approaching, the group could hear what he was saying:

"I couldn't... I couldn't have lost... Why I lost...? What did I make wrong?"

"Hellooo?", Zelos asked, sounding irritated by being ignored. Kermish looked to him, with hatred in his eyes, but this time the red haired Chosen didn't back away, he was already getting used to that. "Did you ever hear about something called therapy? Maybe you should try, cause this temper of yours... really, nobody deserves it."

"You idiot Chosen... don't you see it? You all just destroyed my dream!", Kermish said, trying to stand and almost falling. "I can't feel Nebilim's power anymore... I don't even feel the power of Doom's Blood. It's all your fault!"

Zelos and Merilius sighed, Kermish's insane hatred and immature behavior was turning into routine to them. Genis felt something and looked up, widening his eyes at what he was seeing.

"Uh... guys, look!", the young warlock said, pointing to the celling.

The heroes looked and almost gasped at what they were seeing. Halfway to the celling, above Kermish, there was a dark fog, circulating over his head. The deranged Chosen noticed their look and also looked up, gasping at what he was seeing. Some of the fog shot to him and before the fallen Chosen One could do anything, they started to being absorbed by Doom's Blood, making the jewel to shine and bringing to him great pain.

Kermish screamed while something started to form at his back from the black fog. The figure then ignited and the group saw Nebilim, grinning. The puppet of the Dark Lord looked to him, horror written by all over his face.

"Did you really think you could get the best on me? You poor, little wretched... it was me who was putting those ideas on your head, or do you think I would let someone rebel against me when I have control over him?", Nebilim said, even being a burning shadow, the group could see he grinning like a manic.

"But... the Void... Doom's Blood...!", Kermish tried to say, his body didn't obey him anymore. He was practically paralyzed by the pain.

Nebilim let out a laugh that made chills ran through the heroes' spine. It was like something more was laughing together with the Dark Lord, something that wasn't good. The fallen Chosen looked more horrified, if that was even possible, at his laughing master.

Vallor then realized why Nebilim was like that. All that fight, the powers that Kermish used and the "Void spells", everything was another big plan of that wraith to get a new body and undo the seal of his soul parts. The ancient hero spoke, loud enough for even the undead Chosen to hear:

"That power wasn't Void, it was Chaos. Nebilim knew Kermish would never discover the similarity, so he tricked him into thinking he had forged a new element. All this fight was just for him to definitely wake Doom's Blood power and undo the seal of his soul."

The group looked completely shocked at the news. The burning spirit clapped at Vallor, obviously mocking the group by they have discover it just now. Kermish tried to say something about the pact he had done with Nebilim, but the wraith again sneered at him before answer:

"Did you think I would ever maintain a promise to someone as pathetic as you? Please, even that perverted nephew of yours is more worthy than you. If you really thought I would let you have something as powerful as the demonic jewel _I_ helped to forge, than you're dumber than it seems.", Nebilim looked from the horrified and now desperate and broken Kermish to the group of heroes. "I must thank you all by the fight. Thanks to you, the process of wakening and transference of my soul is complete.

"It was also a quite good entertainment to watch you fight with this idiot, I must say.", Nebilim put a flaming hand on his chin as he spoke. "You all would do good generals. But unfortunately, your families had brought great difficult for me in the past, so I'm forced to eliminate you all. But don't worry, your souls will be very useful to me to bring order and peace to this world again..."

Nebilim then disappeared, as the last of the dark fog was absorbed by Doom's Blood. The jewel shone brighter and, to the party's horror, Kermish's hand started to turn into a crystal of the same tone that the jewel on it.

Kermish again screamed in pain as his other hand and legs started to crystallize, soon all the body of the dead Chosen was turning into a blood-red, human-shaped crystal. Merilius tried to do something and ran to the mutated Chosen, ignoring the calls of his companions. The Child of the Light slashed at the transformed man, taking out some crystal shards of the size of a closed hand.

The crystal creature then looked to Merilius with a deadly look and the light warrior was suddenly throw backwards by an invisible force, sliding to near his companions. Sheena helped her cousin to stand while looked to the new creature. The crystal being had the same physical built as Kermish, but his fingers turned into claws and his mouth had fang-like lips. The eyes were of an yellow, piercing tone. The clothes and the hair had all being crystallized, making it seem that the creature wear nothing.

The mutated Chosen then looked to the crystal shards and shot a look of concentration on them. The shards started to shake, lifted from the ground and went to the creature, stopping and floating around him, forming a ring. The older descendant of Vallor knew his blow couldn't have take out so many shards, the creature probably released them on purpose.

Lloyd and the others immediately drew their other weapons, as the Divine Soul shrunk back to their small crystal form, the group pocketed them or left them in their attached places, without even notice. The gash at the creature's belly healed instantaneously while the monster seemed to smile. The crystal being then spoke, in a deep, brass voice, sounding like a demon and indicating Kermish was no more:

"I'm Dark Heart and I will consume both your light and your darkness...!"

* * *

Could this be classified as an evil cliffhanger? Well, anyway...

Creepy Crystal Creature attacks! Stay tunned to the next chapter and remember: never trusth a flaming, evil-looking spirit.


	57. Dark Heart

Finally here people. Prepare your hearts (and your weapons), for this now will be another bloody and intense battle!

Let the party get started!!! *starts to play "Final Destination"*

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* * *

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**Chapter 57**

**Dark Heart**

Thunder and lightnings fell around the flying fortress, casting flashes to the walls of the City of Darkness. Inside the Throne Room, black mist started to rose around the walls, like were shielding them from the combat that was about to take place.

A solitary stone was dragged by the spiral mist and carried by the winds. In a blink of eyes, the pebble dissolved into nothing, like someone had drop an extremely acid substance on it. Vallor had saw that and warned the group of heroes:

"Watch out. That mist is made of pure dark aura and negative feelings. If you touch it, the energies will destroy your mana in seconds."

The group nodded and turned to look their adversary: the transformed Kermish. The creature dubbed itself Dark Heart and the elven members of the group didn't feel Kermish's mana or anything that once belonged to him on it. It was like the ancient Chosen One had been consumed by the crystal monster that was at their front.

Maxwell and the other spirits seized their presence, fearing this new opponent could also drive them away of the room. The Ancient Ruler of the Elements spoke to the party:

"I can't feel anything of that Kermish anymore. This thing in your front is just a shell of pure darkness and negative emotions. It seems Nebilim made the darkness of that former Chosen got control over him in a point that his soul shattered and broke, leaving behind just his power and his body."

"It looks like Nebilim used that crystallizing disease I had to transform Kermish in this.", Colette said.

The crystal creature floated some inches from the ground, the ring of crystal shards around him companied stayed at the level of his waist. The shards of the ring then pointed to the walls. With a shift move of his hand, the twisted monster made the crystals shoot to all the directions around him. Another battle started.

Lloyd and his friends defended against the projectiles that were aimed in them, making them to bounce back. Dark Heart turned to back, his body disintegrated into several red-blood, crystal shards, which disappeared in the air. The monster then reappeared at the front of the group, moving like he had just spun around.

The Eternal Swordsman just had time to draw his Material Blades and warn his friends to scatter, when the creature made a sword sprout from its hand, made out of the same red-blood crystal as the rest of its body. Lloyd blocked the attack, but felt something make thin cuts in his cheek and sting his face. The attacks proceed, with the dual swordsman defending each one of the blows and feeling the stings and cuts over his face.

Sheena, Yuan and Merilius came, trying to attack the crystal creature, but each one of their attacks were defected by the body of the monster. The creature seemed to smile when hit them with the crystals that came back to him and formed the ring, making it spin and turning the shards in red blurs. The three warriors were pushed back and the creature started to charge a spell.

"Crystal Roulette!", the monster mumbled in its brass voice. The crystal ring around him started to spin at great speed.

The Presea and Lloyd tried to attack the demon, but the ring of spinning shards deflected their weapons. Raine tried to cast Photon, but the spell hit the crystal monster without have any effect on it. When Dark Heart ended to charge the spell, the roulette abruptly stopped and the crystal at the front of the twisted monster ignited in flames. The group then noticed the magic circle beneath the mutated creature was a red one.

Dark Heart seemed to smile again and stretched his hand. A great fire ball was falling near to Sheena, her cousin and Yuan. The three quickly scattered and ran. When the flaming projectile hit the floor an explosion was released and quickly expanded, almost catching up the group. The air around the spell seemed to warm several degrees up, giving the impression that their enemy had summoned a volcano into the battle field.

"That... that was the strongest Explosion I ever saw.", Genis said in awe, gasping at the power of the spell.

Regal looked to their opponent and realized there was a total of eight crystals around him. Then it clicked to him: each one of those crystals were some kind of magic amplifier and each one of them represented one element. When the crystal that had ignited extinguished its flames, the company president tried to decorate it, but when Dark Heart floated to attack other member of the group, the crystals in the ring regrouped and he lost the track of the one that represented fire, all the shards were identical.

Quickly speaking his discovery to Genis and Raine, the nearest to him, he got also another new of the half-elven teacher when she got a Magic Lens and gazed at the monster with it. The silver haired woman gasped at what she was seeing. When her brother asked what was it, she spoke:

"He's immune to any kind of magic, even non-elemental, and resistant against physical attacks. I don't know how we can damage it.", Raine said in a worried and scared tone.

Zelos and Colette tried to get to the crystal creature, but before they could do so, it teleported away and appeared behind them. Dark Heart held one of the crystal shards floating around him, floated closely to the backs of the red haired angel and the blond Chosen and started to swing the shard like it was some kind of blade. The other shards followed the movement of the piece grabbed by the monster, resulting in the two heroes being cut at least three times with just one swing.

With another grin in its face, Dark Heart shaped his right hand in an ax edge and used Presea's Beast against them, blowing the two out. Lloyd flew to the ruthless monster and again tried to attack, just to discover it could convert the ring of shards around him into a shield. The Eternal Swordsman tried to break the shield, using Sonic Sword Rain and Twin Tiger Blade, but the crystal creature moved the shield, accompanying the young man's movements.

Dark Heart floated some feet backwards while Lloyd landed. The creature seemed to show a mocking smile to the Eternal Swordsman. It then spoke in its demonic like tone:

"Are you so weak? Why don't you attack with more strength? Maybe you need some... motivation.", the crystal monster said, looking to Sheena, who immediately realized what he meant. "Crystal Arrow!", with a motion of its clawed hand, Dark Heart made the crystal shards floating around him gather at his front and point to the female ninja, transforming into arrows. With another motion of his hand, he sent the arrows against the summoner.

Lloyd called for Sheena, showing his wings and trying to reach her, but the speed of the crystal projectiles was far superior. The young woman tried to use Guardian Seal, but the arrows passed through the shield without even had their speed reduced. Some arrows embedded in the female ninja's legs and arms, another made some cuts in her face, arms and legs.

The Eternal Swordsman stopped in the air, looking to the blood that started to drip from his love, who knelled and couldn't move due the projectiles embedded in her limbs. A laugh, which sounded more like a growl, made him turn to Dark Heart, with a look of pure hatred in his face.

"You bastard!", Lloyd yelled, flying to the crystal monster, which just stayed at his place, looking at the boy with a smile in his mouth.

Lloyd started to attack at great speed and caught Dark Heart with his defense off. He slashed, stabbed and beat the ruthless monster like he was a punching bag, though none of his blows achieved to make any damage to the crystal skin of the twisted creature.

The group stopped to observe Lloyd beating the crystal creature with all his strength. They had the impression that it would break at anytime, but then they saw again and the monster was in one piece, just being dragged from his place by the sequences of mighty blows. Zelos and Raine where healing the group and Colette had retrieved the crystal arrows from Sheena.

Yuan looked at the clash between the Eternal Swordsman and Kermish's mutated form and found something very wrong. That monster certainly had more defenses than just that ring of crystal shards, so why was he letting Lloyd hit him like that? When another blow of the dual swordsman connected, Yuan caught the glimpse of a tiny shine in the air between the young man and the mutated creature. Enchanting his sigh, he saw what it was and when he looked back to his friend he caught what was the plan of that monster.

Embedded in the body and clothes of the Eternal Swordsman there were hundreds of tiny crystal shards and more were flying and embedding in the young man each time he hit Dark Heart. Looking to the others, Yuan saw other pieces of crystal in Sheena, Presea, Zelos and himself, but not as much as there were on Lloyd.

"Lloyd, stop attacking him! It's a trap!", Yuan shouted.

The Eternal Swordsman stopped and looked to the former Seraphim, confused at what he had said. Dark Heart was laying at his front and suddenly jerked his body up, seeming completely unharmed.

"Too late. Chaos Ignition!", the creature said. The shards on Lloyd and the others started to shine and electrical currents started to run in their bodies, making them to feel pain. The tiny pieces of red crystal also ignited and the heroes felt it burning their skin and their energy. When all ended, Lloyd was on his knees and the others were panting. "What do you think, fool? I can control any shard of my body to attack at my command. In this moment, I burnt part your mana away, but don't worry, I plan to give you a quick death for all the services you had done for me."

With another laugh, the crystal creature shaped his hands and feet in ax edges, kicked Lloyd, launching him upwards, and attacked him with series of blows from his shaped members. The monster called that Blade Dance. The name was quite appropriate, for each time Dark Heart moved to slash at Lloyd, it was like he was performing the steps of some kind of deadly dance. In the end, the twisted beast attacked by spinning his arm-axes, pushing Lloyd away, which the shirt now gained a new tone of red: the tone of his own blood.

Another Revitalize spell was casted, but the burns on the group weren't healed, neither do any of the gashes that were made on Lloyd. Raine and the others found now the situation was getting critical, not just any of their attacks wouldn't damage the crystal creature, but the monster could also release crystal shards each time they tried to attack or defend from it.

"This will be fun.", Dark Heart said, approaching Lloyd, but was blocked by Sheena and Colette. "Oh, want to play too? Ok. I have plenty of time to play a game or two with you.", shaping his arms into sword blades, the monster attacked.

Colette tried to use her long range techniques, so the crystal shards wouldn't reach her, while Sheena defended the attacks of the monster. However, the blond angel's attack didn't make the monster flinch back or stop. Dark Heart then used Blood Spin to blow the two girls out, plus Lloyd, who was at the range of the technique.

The group could only observe as their friends were beaten back by the ruthless monster, which grinned each time a blow hit them. Zelos and Presea tried to go to help their friends, but Regal and Yuan went against this decision, saying they would just hurt themselves, what would turn the situation worse.

"How can we win that thing then?", Genis asked, eager to cast some spells in the monster that was attacking his friends.

Merilius tried to think on some solution, but when Dark Heart achieved to take Sheena by her throat and used Dark Fire Seal on her, the magic swordsman threw all any strategy away and ran to help his cousin. Just one thought was in his head: he wouldn't lose his cousin or any of his new friends to Nebilim, even if he had to sacrifice himself.

Sheena was dropped in the ground, as Dark Heart brought his shaped arm to back, pointing to the female ninja's heart, clearly intending to kill her. She tried to move, but she felt like her legs had been crippled by the last attack, the fire should have entered in her body by the wounds, harming her by inside. When the crystal blade made motion to stab her, the grand summoner put her hands in the front of her face, waiting for the killing blow.

Before the shaped limb could reach Sheena, another blade came in and cut off the creature's arm, making the blade to fall at the side of the female ninja. For the first time in that battle, Dark Heart flinched back, holding his arm, his face twisted in pain. The ruthless monster looked to the one that dared to attack him, but Merilius already started to slash at it with all his speed, not leaving the twisted beast a chance to counter.

The light warrior didn't mind if he would get covered by fragments of that creature's body, he just wanted to drive that damned thing away of his cousin... of his sister. He always blamed himself for not defending her in the past, for not protecting and losing her. Now he had been granted a second chance to correct his mistakes and he would do that.

The group gasped at their place, Merilius continued to attack even when the eight crystal shards that formed the ring around Dark Heart returned, by jumping high and attacking in the air. However, what called their attention the most was the fact that the attacks were actually making some damage on the monster. By all the front of the creature's body there were deep cuts and scars in the crystal surface. Yuan also observed that all the tiny, crystal shards that flew from the body of the mutated beast dissipated in the air, without even touch the older light bearer.

Zelos helped Sheena to get to the rest of the group while Presea helped Lloyd; it seemed the two would be out of battle due all the wounds over their bodies. Yuan spoke to the group what he was seeing with his angelic sigh.

"But how can he even destroy the fragments when we couldn't even harm it with our weapons?", Regal asked.

Merilius hit the top of the crystal monster's head with a vertical cut, making the creature to bring his hand to his face. It seemed the magic swordsman had hit one of the monster's eyes. He then jumped away of the monster before it could counter. Dark Heart looked to the light warrior with anger burning inside his yellow, piercing orbs, the hand had already grew back and the gashes were closing.

Sheena tried to find what could gave Merilius some advantage against Nebilim's beast. The pain was almost unbearable to her and even Raine's strongest spells weren't making effect on her wounds. When Merilius' Runeblade shone with the flash of another thunder she realized: it was his weapon, the weapon made by their family with the same knowledges that were used to forge the Divine Souls. How could they have forgotten about the sacred weapons?

"Everybody, we have to use our Divine Souls against him. It's the only way to win.", the female ninja said, making all the group look to her. Some of them realized what she meant and beat their forehead by have forgot the special items.

The heroes then took the crystals and their new weapons materialized. Sheena and Lloyd were the only ones that couldn't take theirs, due the wound that pained even when they moved.

"Wait. Let's see if this is really powerful. Revitalize!", Raine casted the spell using her new weapon. The half-elven teacher felt a new kind of power rushing over all her body when she casted the healing spell.

Sheena's and Lloyd's wounds started to close at incredible speed, almost the same which Dark Heart regenerated his body. The female ninja felt like she was being refreshed by the spell Vallor had used when she rescued Lloyd.

"Wow! That was the most potent cure spell I ever felt. I feel totally renewed.", Lloyd said, sheathing the Material Blades and taking his Divine Soul. "Ok, time for the second round Dark Heart.", with a grin in their lips, Lloyd and Sheena ran to catch up with their friends, who already started to attack the foul creature.

When the Summon Spirits said the Divine Souls had the propriety to recognize the energy that an evil one used and form an answer which would nullify it, they weren't joking. Each time one blow of the legendary weapons connected, sparks and powerful energies were sent through Dark Heart's body. However, the creature still resisting, using his crystal ring to attack and shaping his limbs into weapons.

"Crystal Roulette!", the ring started to spin again and the group prepared to brace what would come. The circle under the crystal monster indicated it was another fire spell. The roulette then stopped and the crystal at the front of the monster took a blue color, bubbles coming from it. "Damn... oh, anyway...", the angels in the group could heard the twisted creature murmur. "Chaos Spring!"

The true name of the Void Spring spell was pronounced at the moment a big iceberg encased, Lloyd, Sheena, Yuan and Regal. As fire came and the attack ended, everybody landed with a thud, feeling strange inside, like their mana was clashing against some other kind of energy.

"Man, that was really unpleasant.", Sheena growled, feeling her mana completely disorganized inside her.

"Yes, but it was weaker than the spell Kermish casted. It seems when the crystal doesn't select the same element of the magic initially intended by Dark Heart, a fusion spell is formed, but like a side effect, the power is halved.", Regal stated, with Yuan agreeing with him.

"Uh... ok, and that means?", Lloyd asked, confused at the language the company president had used on his explanation. Sheena, Regal and Yuan sighed at that.

"In other words, when he don't choose the right crystal the spell lose great part of its power.", Regal resumed, with Lloyd now letting out an "oh" of understanding.

Presea and Zelos were fighting against the crystal monster. Genis was unsure if he could help, even knowing he had now a weapon that could take a tool on their enemy, but he didn't know how much it could affect his spell casting. He then saw, Zelos trying to break the shield Dark Heart made with the crystal shards that floated around him. The mutated beast quickly made the crystals back to its ring formation, when Zelos and Presea stopped to attack by some seconds, and grabbed the nearest to him, making the others to imitate the position of its replica.

The crystal monster then used the crystal to slash at Zelos and Presea with the ring in quick movements. When it stopped the attack, the mutated beast made the circle spun at blinking speed, blowing the red haired angel and the pink haired girl away. Stretching its arm up, Dark Heart made the ring circle to float over his head and shrink the radius of the circle, making it to form a figure that resembled some kind of flower. The eight crystals started to shine with their respective colors and transferred their energies to the center of the circle, forming an energy ball.

"Element Canon!", the energy ball shot a great beam, aiming Presea. The ax wielder tried to get away, but was caught in the explosion that formed when the beam touched the ground. Dark Heart directed the shot to hit her directly, pushing the young adult away while several explosions hit her back. Then he tried to direct the beam to Zelos, who achieved to avoid the shot by flying.

Genis looked to the laying form of Presea with wide eyes, she wasn't giving any signal of life and the back of her clothes was charred while she had several burns on her skin. A growl attracted the young warlock's attention: Dark Heart was laughing at the ax wielder... laughing at the pain he caused to the silver haired boy's crush.

"What do you think about it now, you pathetic project of woman?", the crystal being said mockingly and turning to the rest of the group, which achieved to make their mana to establish again and tried to attack the crystal monster, but it teleported with a turn of its body, transforming into crystal fragments.

The little half-elf looked to where the ruthless monster appeared. Decided to make that foul creature pay for what it had done to the one he liked, Genis started to cast a spell, not minding which one was, he just wanted to hit that bastard that had attacked his friends and his crush in such cruel way. The young warlock then pronounced the words that came to his head:

"Protectors of the elements, envoys of the spiritual plane... lend to me the strength to protect the ones I held dear. Let justice and vengeance come together to guide me in my battle against the evil. Sacred Lances!", several magic circles appeared around, above and under Dark Heart, the last one was divided in a white halve and a dark halve. The circles then released magic swords and lances from the spells Flame Lance, Freeze Lancer, Holy Lance, Bloody Lance, Thunder Blade, Aqua Laser, Air Blade and Grave.

The magical lances got embedded in the body of the crystal creature, which was hit dead on at the same time by all the attacks. The lances and swords started to reunite great amounts of mana and released the entire energy accumulated in a powerful explosion, blowing Dark Heart out. The monster slided in the ground, the attack had take effect on him.

Genis then calmed down and anger was replaced by surprise. He never knew he could cast such kind of powerful magic. The power that he felt when he was charging it wasn't like anything he felt before. Vallor's image appeared at the side of the silver haired boy and explained:

"It seems you discovered one of the several secrets of the Divine Souls. The weapons guard some of the knowledge of its previous wielders, which you can access in some situations and depending of the state of your heart. In your case, the wish to defend your friends and stop Nebilim activated the knowledge inside the weapons."

Genis looked back to the light Kendama at his hands. Those weapons were indeed incredible. The young warlock then looked to the crystal monster, which was getting up. He decided to try and attack him with magic again, however, the Spread spell he casted didn't affect Dark Heart.

"What the...?", Genis gasped.

"The other spell you casted had the power of the Divine Soul in it. It seems you still didn't find a way to use this power in your other spells.", Vallor stated.

Dark Heart recovered and was assaulted by all the melee fighters of the group, but avoided the attacks, using his crystal shield made of the amplifiers shards and floating backwards. The monster teleported away and started to charge a light spell, activating Crystal Roulette. The shard selected was the one of darkness.

"Collapsing Star!", a magic circle formed behind the heroes, who were running to their enemy, and spheres of light came from the ground and shot to them, catching some of the heroes and pulling them back to the magic circle. It was Void Star. The only ones that achieved to avoid being caught were Colette and Zelos. "I'm tired of you, wretched humans. DIE!"

Dark Heart made the ring of crystal shards float above him and shrunk its radius, preparing to shot Element Canon again. In that moment, Raine casted Ray, making the bright sphere to appear at the front of the crystal monster. Her intention wasn't attack him, but distract the foul creature.

"Colette, destroy one of the amplifier crystals, now!", Raine shouted to the blond angel, at the moment the rays started to shot at Dark Heart, obstructing his vision, but not hurting him.

The white clad Chosen agreed and aimed her chackran, she had just one chance to throw it while the ruthless beast was distracted and she had to hit. Turning on her wheels, Colette threw the sacred projectile with all her strength, making it fly at great speed to its target. When the bright sphere stopped to shot its light rays on Dark Heart, the crystal beast could see again, but just noticed the flying chackran when it was close to the ring above him.

The chackran hit its target, breaking the crystal into pieces. The other shards lost control over the power of the ball at the center of the ring, cracked and also broke. The feedback made the ball unstable and it exploded on the head of Dark Heart, covering his body. Zelos was ready to cheer when Merilius came with the others behind him and spoke:

"I doubt he would be affected by his own attack. We have to beat him while we still have the chance to!", the Child of the Light urged them, running to the crystal monster.

The others also companied the light warrior and together they started to beat the monster with their strongest techniques. Several cracks and cuts started to twist Dark Heart's body before he could regenerate. When Sheena and Lloyd blew the crystal creature out with Pyre Seal and Beast Sword Rain, it slided in the ground, its legs upwards.

The group started to pant as Raine casted another Revitalize, however, it didn't refresh their tiredness, even with the power of her Divine Soul. Their mana was already thin and almost all their healing items had been used. Gulping the last Spirit Bottle and Energy Tablets they had, the heroes felt some of their energy returning.

"Damn. This thing doesn't die.", Sheena grumbled, seeing Dark heart getting up again and regenerating his wounds.

"We need to keep fighting, otherwise he can beat us.", Presea said.

"Then I think it's time for me to help you again.", Vallor's voice sounded from the necklace. "I and the other spirits can release some knowledge and part of the power contained in the Divine Souls, but we'll need some time to get it done. Try to hold him off until then."

Sheena felt the presence of the Summon Spirits getting near her, they were probably joining to undo the enchantments that locked the true power of the Divine Souls. Dark Heart started to float over the ground again and turned to them. The crystal monster then yelled:

"Fools! You may have these cheap projects of legendary weapons, but you still no match to me! I'm very darkness inside you, I'm the truth about this world that you try to deny so much and I'm the one that holds the power over even your feelings!", the twisted beast started to charge a darkness spell as he spoke the next sentence in its deep, brass tone . "I know all of your tricks and techniques, you don't stand a chance against me!!!"

"Puff... I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of bad guys throwing the same puns. I mean, man, what's so special about speaking this over and over? Don't you have anything better to say?", Zelos said, crossing his hands with his sword and shield at the back of his head. Dark Heart growled at that and, for a moment, seemed to have forget he was casting a spell. Catching the hint, Merilius also spoke:

"Hu... then try to imagine living good part of your life with a guy whispering this at your mind. I almost got crazy of hearing the same, boring speech.", the light warrior commented, making the crystal monster to grid its teeth. "You really need to think up on something more original... Neran Bailium.", Merilius snickered at saying Nebilim's true name.

The crystal monster now showed how sharp his fang-lips were. Vallor and Luna couldn't hold and let out an "ouch". If there was something Nebilim hated more than the humans or people that constantly stayed in his way, it was when he was called by his true name. It was like they were accusing him of be one of the legendary enemies of the elves. If it wasn't Merilius who had said that aloud, the ancient hero and the illuminated entity would be worried about someone teasing their mortal enemy like that.

An aura of pure power formed around the crystal monster. Merilius knew now he had gave Nebilim a motive to kill him right now, but he had already a plan in his mind and if Vallor let the rest of the group access the power of the Divine Souls, it would just make the things better.

"How...", Dark Heart said, preparing to cast the spell. "Dare you... TO CALL ME BY THIS NAME?!?! DARK JUDGMENT!!!"

"Leave your minds blank and let the power flow into it!", Vallor's voice sounded at the moment the dark beams started to fall. He and the Summon Spirits unlocked the power of the Divine Souls. It was just a fraction, but still enough to take care of that crystal abomination.

The group did what they were told. They felt a new power flowing into their bodies and some of them felt a new knowledge rushing inside their minds. Raine then discovered she had a new spell which could defend them from that magic attack. Quickly charging, the half-elven woman casted:

"Reflect!", barriers appeared around all the members of the group. When the dark beams hit the surface of the shields, they bounced to all the sides, hitting the walls and the throne. "Now! Sharpness!", the female researcher shouted, enchanting the group's attack.

Dark Heart tried to shot Shadow Ball and Fear Flow on them, but even those attacks bounced in the barrier Raine had casted upon them, which soon wear off, but giving to them the chance they needed. Before the crystal creature could teleport, Merilius appeared behind it and used Light Strike on the monster, immobilizing him.

Yuan and Presea were the first ones to start the attack, using Endless Infliction and Shock Spin. The power of the Divine Souls enchanted the attacks and broke the elemental immunity of their ruthless enemy. Sheena came and used Power Seal Absolute, Serpent Seal Absolute and another attack in which she bound Dark Heart in a sphere of cards, some which stuck to his body and exploded in flames. The female ninja drew her dagger and pronounced:

"Exorcism Seal!", cards circulated Sheena dagger and she thrust it inside the sphere of seal cards. The effect was very similar to a drill trying to pierce the crystal body of the creature. Sheena's dagger touched the front of the crystal monster's body, cards swirling around the blade and sparks flying from the shock between crystal and metal. The cards and the dagger shone brightly, like they were entering in tune, and the cards dissolved into light points, which came to the front of the monster and shot to him, releasing a explosion of light that blew out the ruthless beast.

The front of the monster was full of cuts and all cracked, like it could break with some more attacks. Regal jumped high and descended, spinning in the air, creating a swirl of pressure around him while his foot pointed to Dark Heart's chest.

"Spin Fall!", the effect was almost the same of the last attack the crystal monster suffered, but Regal's foot wasn't touching in the crystal surface as the air and the power of his Divine Soul drilled the body of the foul beast, making more cracks to appear. When the blue haired president actually hit Dark Heart with his foot, it created a light crater in the thorax of the monster.

Regal jumped away of the crystal creature, who mumbled "impossible" as he tried to stand with the help of his hands, tiny, crystal shards started to fall from his cracked body. Lloyd used Sonic Sword Rain when the crystal creature stood and Zelos attacked by the back of the monster with Super Lightning Blade. The red haired angel flew to Lloyd's side and the two attacked Nebilim's beast with Cross Thrust. Colette produced several chackrans and made some of them stay in the air, spinning. The blond angel then used her mana to shot the entire projectiles against Dark Heart.

"Barrage!", the holy chackrans hit the crystal monster, spinning and cutting his body in a similar way to Ray Satellite.

Merilius then jumped in the front of Dark Heart and charged all the light mana he could muster on his blade. With a cry of Light Thrust, the Child of the Light pierced the chest of the crystal monster, making the point of the blade enter inside the body of the creature. The light sphere in the Runeblade shot to inside the beast and rays of light came from the cracks over the creature's body, which roared in pain. Then the thorax of the monster exploded, making crystal fragments to fly everywhere. Some hit the light warrior and cut his face, legs and arms. Luckily the cuts were superficial, but the descendant of Vallor felt some pain.

Time seemed to stop when the group saw that Merilius had opened a big hole in the chest of their enemy, which stayed immobile, like he was in a shocked state. The cracks on the body of the crystal monster started to spread and covered the entire Dark Heart's body, who mumbled, in a slow tone:

"This body... wasn't... strong enough... but... it has fulfilled... its role...", without utter another word, Dark Heart exploded, cutting Merilius with more fragments. Good part of the monster's body fell to pieces in the ground at the front of the light warrior.

Blood started to drop from Merilius' scorched body. The group gasped when the Child of the Light turned to them, slowly and almost losing his balance. The dark-blue haired half elf was now a bloodied mess, his armor destroyed and his clothes cut and burn in some parts, but he wore a great smile in his face, in fact, he seemed to be in peace. Stumbling to reach his friends, the light bearer murmured:

"I finally...", another forced step. "Recovered my...", Merilius then lost his equilibrium and started to fall. "Honor...", Sheena gasped and ran to her cousin, catching him before he hit the ground.

The group joined around the grand summoner and her cousin, who was panting, but seemed happy notwithstanding. Lloyd asked for Raine to cure him, but the half-elven woman shook her head, saying it would be too dangerous to close Merilius' wounds if there were crystal shards embedded in his body.

The Summon Spirits and Vallor then appeared, looking to Merilius with what seemed a look of proud and happiness. Luna approached to her descendant and touched his head. The hand of the Summon Spirit of the light glowed while she spoke in a gentle tone:

"Sleep my child, for now thee have atone for thy mistakes and sins of the past.", the older Child of the Light closed his eyes, drifting to a comfortable, dreamless sleep.

The black mist that was swirling around the walls of the room disappeared. Suddenly, the entire room started to shake with violence, making the group to almost fall. Zelos then asked what was going on. Vallor explained in a hurried tone:

"The fortress is falling! Kermish and Nebilim were the ones that reactivated the Elemental Heart. Without their magic, it turned back to its dormant state and stopped to power the fortress. We have to get out of here!"

The group didn't wait for the spirit hero to end his line and ran to the door of the Throne Room. Presea and Colette pushed the heavy doors. Sheena and Lloyd put Merilius' arms around their shoulders and took him with them to outside the room.

Once in the stairway, the heroes started to take their Rheairds out of the Wing Packs and take flight. Zelos, who was the last to leave the room, stopped and looked back, to where laid the pieces of Dark Heart. Raine noticed that her boyfriend stopped and shouted to him from the door:

"Zelos, what are you doing?! We have to get out!"

"I thought I saw something...! Ah, forget it.", the swordsman said, running to catch up with the others...

As nine Rheairds took off from the central tower of the castle, the fortress was already falling to the sand banks near the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge, at the side of Altamira continent. When the City of Darkness crashed in the ground, the landscape where it was almost turned. Houses and towers tumbled with the impact and the castle's towers fell apart. The landscape broke in two and sand rose to the skies.

Everything then stopped and smoke started to rise from the wreckages. The party flew around the spot where Nebilim's Fortress fell, watching, together with Vallor and spirits, the entire scene. When everything seemed to stop, the hero of the Forgotten Ages said:

"Finally, the symbol of the terror from my age tumbled down. Now this world will never have to fear the sight of this abominable place."

"Let's go back to Meltokio to treat Merilius' wounds and to rest. I don't know about you all, but I'm beat. I don't remember what was the last time I fought so much.", Yuan said, in a tired tone.

"Yeah. Let's rest so we can commemorate tonight. I'm sure after have passed through all of this, the King will give us party for have saved this world... again.", Zelos said with a smile on his face.

The group gave out a healthy laugh at that, nodding with the Chosen. They then took the direction of Meltokio while the skies started to get the orange and red tone of the sunset. They could finally rest down, knowing they had won that battle...

* * *

Hey guys! Just calm down that there's another chapter coming. But with this one we end "The Legacy of the Past" part of the fanfic.

For the ones that forgot, I still waiting an answer to the question I've made. Not that I want it right now, you still have until the final chapter of the fic to answer me, I just wanted to remember you.


	58. Commemoration

Let's relax a bit with another light chapter people. I'm sure you all need after all the brain damage my last bloody and intense chapters did, meanly in what says respect to my psycho villian Kermish. I sure nobody likes to stay on the shoes (and in the mind) of guys like him.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

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* * *

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**Chapter 58**

**Commemoration**

Seconds before the fall of the City of Darkness, in the King's Chambers in Meltokio's castle, Princess Hilda stopped to struggle and laid quiet on her place. Then the young ruler opened her eyes and sat at her father's bed, who looked up at seeing his daughter had recovered.

"What happened? Why am I in your room, father?", the Princess asked, seeming confused, she probably didn't remember what happened.

The King of Tethe'alla couldn't find words in that moment, so he did the only thing that he could remember: he hugged his daughter tightly, like he had fear if he left her go, she would drift back to that enchanted sleep again.

Hilda didn't understand a thing, but didn't speak her father's gesture. The Princess hugged her father back, just one question was in her head:

_Why is he acting like this? It seems like I have been away for months..._

- - - - -

As the preparations for the commemoration went, people started to come back to their houses, once heard that the attack had been repelled. There was still blood out in the fields, but the Summon Spirits decided to do a favor to the mortals and contribute to the party. Undine sent a rain to wash away the red liquid from the fields and Gnome fulled the holes made in the ground by spells and made the plants to grow again.

At the Inn, Raine was cleaning Merilius' wounds and removing any lasting crystal fragment from his body, with the help of Yuan's angelic sight. The Child of the Light, who was awake, flinched as the sharp fragments were took out of his wounds, but he wouldn't complain.

The curse over Ishtar family had finally come to an end, the dark blue haired warrior knew that. Now he had an entire life at his front to do whatever he pleased. It would be the case, if it wasn't for just one detail: he didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. Some days ago, his life resumed in recover and guard the Devil's Arms until his death. Now, there wasn't any Devil's Arms, the Divine Souls were back and Nebilim and Kermish had been defeated.

"Ok, that was the last.", Raine said, healing Merilius' last wound with the help of her Divine Soul staff. "Now, I suggest you to take some rest."

Merilius nodded, with a "thank you". The two half-elves left the room while Sheena and Lloyd entered. The light warrior had heard his cousin's pacing and mumbling outside the door, it seemed she was there since they got back to Meltokio. The female ninja started to ask how he was feeling, the older light bearer answered:

"Never have been so good in my entire life... it feels like I have reborn.", Merilius said, glancing at the celling with a lost look.

"Well... and what are you going to do now?", Sheena asked the same question have been playing inside her older cousin's mind.

"I don't know.", he answered simply.

There was silence by some time and Lloyd even suggested he should leave, since it seemed it was a family moment. Sheena said for him to stay and the young man didn't have courage to turn her request down. Merilius took a slight glance at them and backed to look at the celling, breathing deeply.

"If you don't know what to do, you could... come with me to my village.", Sheena offered, making her cousin to look to her again.

"Sheena, I'm not a ninja.", Merilius said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Neither I am and even so I'm going with her.", Lloyd said. Merilius now looked to the dual swordsman.

"And what exactly do you want me to do there? I'm going to warn: I'm not good at dealing with kids. At least I think. I don't know. I haven't take care of any other child in my life.", The older Child of the Light said, snickering and making the couple at his front to blush wildly. "Oh, c'mon. I bet you'll slip away of the commemoration just to get some 'time' alone. It's what people in love do when they face an almost death experience."

The two spoke at the same time it wasn't like that, what make Merilius' smile wider. They were sure a funny couple. They reminded him about the stories of Luna and Vallor when they made the pact. Even his ancestor agreed Sheena and Lloyd where much alike them when he was young and was around the illuminated entity.

Deciding to forget that comment, the grand summoner explained her reasons:

"I just asked that because I now know you're what last of my family. I think that we should spent some time together. I mean... we don't see each other since years and I didn't know you were my cousin until some days ago. I want to know you and how you was, back there... before all of that happen."

Sheena looked to the floor. She didn't really remember what happened in Gaorachia Forest when she was a baby, but she knew the memory should be a painful one for Merilius. The magic swordsman spoke:

"I know, I'm sorry. I need some time to decide, it's just that... I never thought I would be able to live like any normal person."

"Merilius, after know all of us, you should have seen by now that nobody is really that normal.", Lloyd commented, drawing a laugh from the two cousins.

The Child of the Light then asked for the two to leave, he needed to rest, all his body was aching from all the fighting it have been put through. Lloyd and Sheena nodded, leaving his room and wishing him a good sleep.

- - - - -

When night came, fireworks started to paint the skies like it was New Year's party. The streets itself turned into a great party, with people bursting from every corner. Even the nobles mixed with the commoners. That night, they just wanted to commemorate the end of that entire dreadful situation they faced.

Zelos found his sister coming to him, with Sebastian and Denvir by her sides. When the red haired warrior caught a glimpse of band aids over her face, he immediately turned to his butler, asking why his sister was in such state.

Yuan had came and started to congratulate Denvir by the excellent work in leading the troops and holding the line. The second-in-command got some flushed by waving the hand and being complimented by his boss like that. As the two drifted away to find the rest of the Renegades, who probably were also commemorating the victory, Zelos was ready to give to his butler a good scold, when Seles came in defense of their servant:

"Please, big brother. It was my idea, not his. In fact, he tried to stop me, but I needed to do something. I couldn't just sit and watch the entire city get destroyed by those monsters."

"Do you thing I care for this city or my house more than I care for you? Seles, if you have died, how do you think I would be, uh? You're my little sister, I was supposed to watch over you. But how can I do that if you catch the first opportunity to enter in trouble?", the older Wilder sibling said.

"I'm not that helpless and you know that. I just wanted to show everybody I could be of some help, specially to you.", Seles talked back to her brother.

"Argh! You're so stubborn."

"I have someone to teach me."

Zelos then gave low chuckle and hugged his half-sister, happy that she was alright. Seles was surprised by sudden gesture of her brother, but hugged him back. The Chosen had never showed before how much he cared for his sister, but he did care for her above even his title. She was the last of his blood relatives that apparently didn't hate him.

Sebastian, sensing his presence wasn't required anymore, left the two siblings to join the commemorations. Zelos then left his sister go and touched her cheek, with a caring look on his eyes.

"I'm happy that you're alright and you did a good job back there.", Zelos said, drawing a big smile from his sister. "But you're grounded.", the smile immediately fell and was replaced by an expression of utter confusion. The younger Wilder let out a "what?". "You heard me. No going out for two weeks."

"This is not fair.", Seles winced.

"My house, my rules. Now if you don't mind, there's a gorgeous, silver haired, half-elven beauty waiting for me.", with that last remark, Zelos strode out in search for Raine.

Seles sighed and walked back to the manor. Sometimes, doing the right thing meant you have to face some consequences later. In this case, an overprotective brother...

- - - - -

In the benches, near the Coliseum, Genis and Presea sat on one of them. The local wasn't as full as the rest of the city, so the two could talk with tranquility. The young warlock was the first to talk:

"So... hum... when we were.... back at the fortress...", Presea looked to Genis, waiting for him to talk the rest of the phrase. "What you speak about... you like me in a special way... d-did you me-mean that?"

Genis' cheeks got red beet when he ended. In his mind, he was beating himself for not be able to talk straight at the front of the pink haired girl. Presea answered to him right away:

"Everything I said is true, Genis. You're someone special to me, I just needed time to realize this.", the lumberjack woman lowered her head as she spoke. "When I saw you almost being taken over by your darkness I realized if I lost you, everything I did until now, all the feelings I recovered would be for nothing, cause I wouldn't have anyone to share my deepest ones.

"Maybe what they say is true, we just realize how someone is important to us when we almost lose this person."

Presea then looked to the skies, at the moon. That night hadn't any cloud that could block the light of the stellar body. Genis was so warm that it was possible to see steam coming out of him. The young warlock tried to speak something, but found his brain decided to take vocations.

Silence settled around the two. Genis started to recover as his brain started to work again. Finally finding his mouth and words, the silver haired boy spoke:

"I... I... I promise you won't lose me. I... I also like you... so... since you also found that you like me... could we... d-da...", Genis again found a block in his tongue. Stopping, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, the young warlock opened them to find Presea looking to him, right in the eyes, seeming anxious to hear what he would say next. "Date!", the word shot out of little magician's mouth like a bullet, making him to lose the control of his tone.

Presea didn't seem surprised. She looked up, thinking in what her special friend was proposing. He had already hinted that he wanted that before, when he first confessed to her, but now she felt ready to think on the subject clearly.

Genis was sweating cold while waited for an answer from his crush. In that moment, freeze himself using Absolute or getting buried inside an earth dome, like in Earth Bite, seemed very pleasant options for him. The pink haired girl turned to him with a smile in her face, which made him to blush until take the color of Efreet.

"I think we can, but we don't need to hurry ourselves. Like I said before, we have much time to do this."

Genis felt relieved at her words. Now that they knew what they felt for each other they could start to date at any time, they didn't need to do it right away. Presea then got closer to the young warlock and leaned her head to rest in his shoulder, making the half-elf to feel his body's temperature increase at incredible speed again.

The silver haired boy then tried to relax, also leaning his head to his crush and making his cheek to rest on her pink hair. The two then enjoyed that moment, fireworks coloring the skies around them. Then, one screeching rocket made Presea remember about something:

"Hum, Genis, can I ask you a question?", the silver haired boy shot a look of "of course" to her. "Your sister doesn't have anything against us dating, does she?"

"No. Why?", Genis asked, some confused.

"I eavesdrop a talk between her and Zelos. I couldn't really hear what they were saying, but it had something to do with you and me, people starting to do something too early, a mistake and castration."

"Uh... I think I know what she was talking about.", Genis said, with a big drop running down at the back of his head and an image, which scared him to no end, forming inside his head...

- - - - -

The Coliseum was desert, even the warriors and workers of the great structure were at the streets, having fun. A lone figure was sat in one of the bench-steps, looking to the full moon of that night and the fireworks that decorated the skies.

He didn't feel like joining the crowd and commemorating the victory, so he was using that time to relax and think. It brought him peace to be in places with a good view to the skies. Strangely enough, he also liked the night and the winds it brought.

_Hu, what a Child of the _Light _I am..._, he thought.

"So there are you.", a firm voice came. Looking to one of the entrances, Merilius saw Regal coming. "Why aren't you in the streets commemorating?"

"I never liked too much of crowds. Maybe because I lived good part of my life avoiding everybody.", Merilius thought aloud. "Oh well. Maybe I just don't care too much about socialize."

"You should try to talk with other people, it's not healthy to close yourself from the people around you."

Regal then sat besides Merilius, who just shrugged at the businessman's comment, but recognized there was some truth in it. He couldn't hide from the world forever and, soon or later, with everything that happened, words about him would spread and his family's name would be in evidence again. After all, his family's fame began in Nebilim's time.

Merilius didn't know if Sheena would reveal they were relatives to the public. Probably she would tell to her surrogate grandfather and the other leaders of Mizuho, but they certainly wouldn't spread the notice, they didn't want that kind of attention and the older light bearer was sure so does his cousin. Then the one in evidence would certainly be him, so he would need to know how to deal with people.

"Hu... and I thought I would never live enough to become a public representative of my family.", Merilius commented. "But shouldn't you be commemorating with the King or something, Duke Bryant?", the dark-blue haired half-elf asked to the company president.

"No, I don't feel like dealing with business matters and nobles now. For this night, I want to be just Regal, a tall, adult man who wants to have some fun with his true friends.", Regal said, with a smile in his face.

"I also would have liked to take some vocations of my duty of guard the Devil's Arms.", Merilius commented.

"Well, now that they don't exist anymore, we can say that you've take permanent vocations of this duty."

The two adults gave a good laugh at that. It was true that now Merilius didn't need to worry with the Devil's Arms or curses anymore. He could now make his own duties and missions. The half-elf then asked:

"So, you're going to back to work on your company, won't you?"

"If you know anybody that can make my job and know Lezareno's business like I know, I would be more than gladly to know this person.", Regal joked. Merilius almost never heard the company president joking like that, he always seemed so serious.

_Just like I was._, the thought crossed the magic swordsman's mind, making him to again reflect about all the years he now had to recover before he could live the life at its fullest.

"So, that means we won't be able to continue with my lessons.", Merilius said.

"I don't think so. I have much free time since the reconstruction projects are now running by themselves and I actually bought my Rheaird from Yuan, so I may pay a visit at Flanoir Base.", the blue haired man said, in a tone that made clear that Merilius wouldn't skip their lessons just like he was thinking.

"What a luck of mine...", Merilius commented, making the two of them laugh again.

- - - - -

Yuan was walking to the noble quarters of Meltokio. At the way he passed at the front of the castle and saw the King had mounted a table at the front of the doors to look to the people passing by and to greet them. The former Seraphim also saw Zelos, Sheena and Lloyd going to Tethe'alla's ruler with some soldiers at their side.

Hilda was sat at the right side of her father and received the three heroes with a smile once they arrived at her presence. While took distance from the scene, Yuan could hear the King thanking his friends for everything they had done for Meltokio and to remove the spell on his daughter.

Approaching the fountain of the noble quarters, the blue haired half-elf saw Colette sat, looking to some dogs at her front with a smile on her face. The blond angel then felt the presence of her friend coming closer and looked to him, showing another warm smile.

"Hi Yuan.", the white clad Chosen greeted.

"I was wondering where I could find you, then I remembered: just follow the puppies.", Yuan said, making Colette to giggle at the comment. "Aren't you enjoying the party?"

"I am, in my way."

Yuan then asked to sit near her and Colette nodded, the smile never leaving her face. As the leader of the Renegades sat, the young girl patted another dog, which was flapping its tail, in the head. The brown pet then licked the blond angel's hand, making her to giggle.

"It's incredible how you can still smile after everything that happened.", Yuan said, attracting Colette's attention to him. "I'm not this strong to forget everything I went through."

"But I didn't forget, I can never forget.", Colette said, now in a slight serious tone. The smile left her face. She then looked to her front. "When I was possessed, I could look the things at the way Nebilim looked. I could hear it by my darkness' comments. To him, this world was just a 'wretched mess' and could only be clean by 'purging those who plagues these lands'. It remembered me of when I was merged with Martel, but the contrary.

"He hated the people that lived in this world just because of what they were, he hated what the humans did and he hated the ones that knew about it and didn't do anything against the humans, even the Summon Spirits. I think I just didn't shatter because... I once felt the same thing. Not with this intensity, but it was the same feeling."

"You mean, your darkness felt it?", Yuan asked, receiving a nod in answer.

The idea of someone that was the exact opposite of Martel scared Yuan. He knew how much his former wife loved that world and to think that someone could hate with the same intensity Martel loved was something that not even the former Seraphim could comprehend.

The blue haired angel looked back to Colette, who was again patting another dog. He knew how that whole experience should have affected Colette's view about the world, probably she had also lost part of her innocence in the long run.

Deciding to change the subject, Colette then remembered of something from when she rescued Yuan at the fortress. Turning to the blue haired Seraphim, she asked:

"Yuan, when I helped you in that laboratory in the castle you said something like 'daughter'. What did you mean?"

Yuan almost fell inside the fountain at the angel girl's question. He knew sooner or latter she could end up finding about what he felt and knew his little slip in the City of Darkness hadn't passed unnoticed by Colette. Deciding there wasn't a point in hiding anymore, Yuan spoke:

"Well... you see... its because I...", Yuan tried to speak, but couldn't find the right words. _Oh great. I'm turning into a Genis now._, the ancient angel thought. "The thing is that I think of you as... my and Martel's... child."

Colette seemed to not have understand what Yuan was saying at first, but when she heard the part "my and Martel's child" she realized what the former Seraphim was just talking. Almost gasping, the blond angel asked to the leader of the Renegades:

"Then you mean... it was true that my real father is an angel?", Colette asked, not achieving to use Yuan's name directly, due the initial shock.

"About this part I'm not too sure. In truth, Frank is you biological father, but I and Martel are, in a way, also responsible for your birth. You see, I was the one that developed the program that could predict and control what would be the results of the different combinations of mana inside the Mana Lineage and to the Chosens became compatible vessels it was also necessary inject a tiny amount of Martel's mana in them."

Colette heard all that Yuan told to her with attention. Considering all of that, it was true that Yuan and Martel were, in a way, responsible for her existence and if they were, didn't that mean they were her parents in a way?

Yuan didn't remember what the last time he felt that nervous was. Thought his point was undeniable, Colette could not accept him as her father. She was the first person that he felt he had some kind of connection since Martel's death, but he couldn't also deny the fact that he once tried to kill her. She had all the right to want to be away of him if she wanted so.

As the minutes proceeded and Colette still thinking, Yuan decided that maybe she was thinking what would be the best way to tell him that she didn't want to be considered his daughter. Well, that wouldn't be the first time he was rejected. After all, he was a half-elf from the old times and rejection was a constant companion in his life.

"I understand if you don't want to have someone like me for a father. To speak the truth, I never considered myself the paternal type anyway and...", Yuan started, but was interrupted when Colette placed her hand on his and talked.

"No. I mean, I'm happy for you to think of me as someone this special for you.", Colette said, showing another of her lively smiles. "After all, if you did all of this, then this means you're someone that helped me to born, even if we don't have the same blood. And professor also said that the mana of a child has some similarity with the one of his parents. So Martel may be my mother in a way."

"Then you mean..."

"Yup. If you want to see as your daughter then I'll see you as my father. Oh, and I would also ask to you about becoming a Renegade.", although the nostalgia Yuan was feeling by Colette have accepted him as her father, he couldn't leave of being confused by her request. "I want to help people, I want to make their lives better and the Renegades help people, don't them?"

Yuan confirmed her question. Indeed the Renegades were now concentrating on helping people since Cruxis was defeated, mainly half-elves. Just because the world changed, that didn't mean people's minds have changed and there still were many half-elves who needed some help to adapt with the new conditions that they were now facing.

"Normally, it would necessary for you to pass into a test and an interview for me to see if you have the qualities to belong to our organization. But since I watched you in battle and already found how much you are willingly to help everybody, I think we can skip this entire bureaucracy. If you really want to work with me, then welcome to the Renegades.", Yuan said, with a smile.

"Thanks and I promise I'll do my best to make you proud... father Yuan.", Colette spoke, showing another of her contagious, warm smiles.

"Glad to have you on board... my daughter."

- - - - -

Zelos walked to the mid-class district of the town, after had dismissed himself from the company of the King, saying he needed to attend some important subjects. He just forgot to mention that it was subjects of the heart.

The red headed Chosen found Raine near the Inn, talking with the researchers of the Elemental Research Laboratory. She had her back to him and seemed to be distracted. The playful swordsman simply didn't resist. Sneaking up behind her to don't be noticed, Zelos quickly put his hands on Raine's eyes and said aloud:

"Guess who...?", he didn't have time to end the question, for in that moment, quicker then the eyes could catch, Raine drew her Divine Soul, materialized the staff and hit him in the stomach, hard.

Zelos fell to the ground, clutching his body while Raine turned, ready to deliver another blow to the one that startled her, when she noticed it was her boyfriend. Apologizing and excusing herself to the half-elf researchers she helped the angel swordsman to get up.

"I'm really sorry Zelos. I thought it was someone trying to attack me.", Raine said, apologizing again.

"Really? You're the only person I know that would wait to be attack at the middle of a party.", the red headed warrior whimpered. "Ow. Did you have to hit that hard?"

"Well, you're the one that startled me and after all we passed through I learned to never let my guard down.", Raine replied.

The two went to a nearby bench. Thanks for Zelos' angel resistance, the blow wasn't so hard as it would be to a normal person, but still painful. The two then settled and started to talk:

"So, will you continue to work on the archaeological section of the Imperial Academy?", Zelos asked, remembering the job that the mature woman had on Sybak.

"Of course yes. I don't want to even imagine the mess that can turn if I'm not there to help.", Raine said, in a tone of someone that was sure of the importance of his position. "Why? Do you want for me to stop it?"

"Nah. If that makes you happy, then it makes me happy. Anyway, I have much free time, so I can drop on your work. Maybe I can even help you with some... things.", Zelos said, with a naughty grin. Raine gave a soft slap on Zelos' shoulder, but had a smile on her face. Maybe joke like that was, after all, a part of Zelos' true personality. At least, she knew how he truly was.

Something then called the half-elven woman's attention. She looked around, like searching for something. Zelos noticed and asked what Raine was looking for, receiving an answer from the female researcher:

"We're in Meltokio and your admirers didn't come looking for you.", Raine analyzed, like the fact amused her.

"Oh, maybe because I said for them that I was out of the market for indeterminate time due some happenings.", Zelos said, with a look of fake innocence.

"You said that?", Raine asked, receiving a nod form Zelos. "Well, I guess that's a beginning. But it's better you find a way to tell them you're already taken, or I'll start to think you're cheating on me."

"I'm just trying to find a way to don't break their little hearts... I mean, too much.", Zelos said in self-defense.

The two laughed at that and turned to look the fireworks bursting in the skies. Raine then placed her hand on Zelos' left hand while the Chosen put his arm around his love's shoulders. After some minutes, Raine inclined her head and rested it on Zelos' shoulder.

"I love you, you know?", Zelos said, looking to Raine with a sweet gleam on his eyes.

"I know and I love you too."

The two then approached their faces until their lips touched while more rockets colored the nocturne skies...

- - - - -

Inside the Inn, Sheena and Lloyd had escaped from the crowd and the company of the King and were going to their room. In the way, the grand summoner asked for Lloyd to wait for her to do something. The young man acknowledged and entered their room while his girlfriend summoned Luna.

"Yes?", the illuminated entity asked, appearing in the habitual yellow flash.

Taking off her necklace (the proof of her pact with Vallor), Sheena handed it to her ancestor spirit, who took it with a confused look. The younger Child of the Light then ordered, in a rushed tone:

"Take him and don't return until tomorrow morning. Thanks and bye.", the female ninja then smiled, waved and closed the door of her and Lloyd's room, leaving a confused-looking Luna and Vallor (who materialized after Sheena had closed the door).

Shrugging, the hero spirit asked what Luna wanted to do until their help was requested again. The Summon Spirit of the light said her brethren were making their own commemoration in their plane and asked if her ancient lover wanted to join.

"Me? At the realm of the Summon Spirits? Are you sure Origin and Aska won't bug you because of this?", Vallor asked, worried at what it could cause to his lover.

"Origin won't mind, he holds thee in high concept and Aska... he would complain anyway. Thee know how protective he is."

"True..."

As the two spirits disappeared, inside the room, Lloyd's and Sheena's bodies were entangled in a passionate hug and kissing. When their lips parted, the two lovers looked into the eyes of each other, with a smile.

The beautiful summoner and the dual swordsman sat in the bed. Lloyd reached his ungloved hand to caress Sheena's cheek. The female ninja looked to the ground when a memory raced through her mind. The young woman's boyfriend asked what was wrong.

"I was just remembering of when I encountered you in the Ritual Room and... you were possessed. I never felt so much fear before, maybe save by my first and second encounters with Volt. But, we had just discovered we loved each other and... and Nebilim could have made you kill me, or I kill you...", Sheena said, a tear running down through her cheek.

"Hey, calm down.", Lloyd said in a gentle manner, wiping Sheena's tear with his finger. "I'm here now, am I not?", the young man said, with a cocky smile. "I don't plan on ding or being possessed again so soon. It's all over now and I promise I'll never scary you like that again."

Sheena smiled again. Yes, everything was over now. Kermish was dead and Nebilim had been defeated. All that she wanted to do now was to think on how she would do to make Lloyd get used with the life in Mizuho.

"Do you really promise?", Sheena asked, receiving a nod from Lloyd. "You know, if you break this promise I'll..."

"Make me shallow a thousand of needles?", Lloyd asked, remembering of the tradition she had threatened him with when they promised to go on the journey of the expheres together. "If need to do this to get with you, then I'll do. But I think my kisses will get really bad if I got holes in all over my tongue."

"And that would be a pity...", the female ninja said, approaching her lips to Lloyd's for another kiss.

The two then laid back in the bed, still kissing, hands running through each other's body, eager for a more intimate touch. As their lips parted, yet again, Lloyd's hands began to untie Sheena's obi while hers started to unbutton his shirt. In the next moments, all the two young adults wished were for the time to stop, so that moment could last forever...

* * *

Well, what do you think now guys?

This fic was one of my longest projects, but I can't say too much, I was never the tyep of guy to make short stories. I simply can't work with too much fast happenings. I also have other projects in mind, for this game and for others. I just need to decide. Oh and did you remember of the question I made in chapter 54? I still waiting an answer. If you don't remember just go to this chapter and check my note at the beggining of the chapter. You can answer me through PM if you want.

Anyway... just... stay attentive... you never know what the future may stores for fics like this... MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!


	59. Burning Skies

Hey, hey, hey! Thought that the fic have ended? Well, SURPRISE!!!

I know what you're thinking: "Oh my god! When will this terrible torture end?!" Don't worry. By my counts just five or four chapters (counting with this) and the fic ends. Yes, ends. Adious, sayonara, bye-bye, as ta la vista and such...

To all the corageous ones that survived the reading until this point, I thank you all for paying attention to this fic, which was one of the most serious projects I have made so far, to not talk with a teen content. I just hope all my bloody, intense battles and mind boogling scenes haven't made any permanent damage. I don't have money to pay all the sues that might come.

Now, let's begin with the final part of the fic!

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* * *

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**Chapter 59**

**Burning Skies**

The sun was appearing and the researches of Sybak awake to began another day of work. The archaeological team of the Imperial Research Academy was ready to go to their room and start the work of classifying the ancient items. However, what some people could think was that after one of the biggest archaeological sites crash right at the side of the city, the archaeologists would go there to check out.

Nobody of the archeology class was thinking on going anywhere near the destroyed fortress, after all, that place was responsible for the almost destruction of Meltokio and they couldn't go there until the King of Tethe'alla gave to them permission. That possibility was unprovable, since who used the fortress also was the responsible for the enchanted sleep of the Princess. However, there was a group of people going to there that didn't care about royal orders or anything of short.

A group of four bandits were climbing the wreckages and ruins of the once terrible city, searching for any valuable thing in the piles of broke houses, towers and the castle. They heard that Kermish used that local and by what they knew the insane man was the one that bought and reunited all the expheres. Maybe they could rescue some to sell latter.

"Are you sure about it boss? What if some of those monster that attacked Meltokio still around? They came from this city, didn't them?", one of the bandits at the back asked, seeming extremely worried.

"What are you, coward? The attack was repelled and those hero guys beat Kermish. There's nothing here to worry. Now stop talking and search for goods.", the bandit leader ordered.

The group of four criminals arrived in the ruins of the castle. Entering in the former Throne Room, they looked around. The windows were shattered and the statues that stood above the throne were broken. The room had practically cracked at the middle, reducing its size to half and there were several cracks and fissures through the floor. However, the room still bearing the same wicked aura the fortress once had.

One of the bandits tightened the grip on the sheath of his sword, the sooner they found what they were looking for, the better. The bandits drew their weapons and started to turn over the pebbles and rocks.

Something shone near the head of the dragon-demon stone head, the bandit leader saw it and went to the rocks. A red gleam seemed to be coming from inside the wreckages. As the criminal reached to catch what was shining, the skies around the fortress got suddenly blocked by gray-dull clouds.

"What strange. They said the weather would be good today.", one of the bandits commented, looking to the now clouded skies.

The bandit leader's hand grasped something and he brought it up. It was a red-blood, shining exphere with a strange black, liquid-looking matter dancing inside it. He then turned to his companions and showed the exphere in his hand, triumphantly.

The other bandits at first smiled at the good their boss took, but their faces soon twisted in expressions of pure fear while they pointed with trembling hands to behind their leader. The bandit leader got confused at that and turned, his jaw fell once he saw thousands of crystal fragments floating at his front, pointed to him. Before the criminal could utter any word the pointy shards shot to him and impaled his body, piercing his armor and his vital organs. The bandit was dead before he even hit the ground.

The red-blood exphere escaped from the grasp of the bandit leader and floated in the air. A flaming shadow materialized near the crystal, making it seems the jewel was embedded in its chest. The rest of the band went mute at seeing the wraith at their front, which obviously was the responsible for their boss' death.

"Wretched beings...", the specter grumbled, making more crystals to come from under the wreckages and forming a scythe on its hand. The dark spirit then flew to the bandits before they could recover from the shock and escape...

- - - - -

"Aaagh!", Luna screeched, falling from her moon projection and twisting in the ground, startling all the Summon Spirits and Vallor.

"Luna! What's happening?!", Vallor asked, hurrying to his love and knelling near her.

The other spirits came near to the two, analyzing the illuminated entity. She seemed to be in great pain. Vallor then turned Luna and what he saw made him to gasp, as well as the other entities around. Luna's scar gleamed with a vibrant, purple light, like a neon light. It was like back in the fortress, when Nebilim verified if his corruption over the guardian spirit still there. But that didn't make any sense. If that damned spirit's power was destroy and his essence banished from the living world, then the Light of the Heaven's scar should have disappeared.

"How can this be?", Aska asked, absolutely terrified by seeing his "sister" twisting in the ground like that with the scar at show.

"Simple...", Origin said, attracting the attention of all his companions. "Nebilim still in the living world. He wasn't defeat yet..."

- - - - -

Blood started to paint the stones where the corpse of the bandits laid. Mana and bright balls of light were coming out of their dead bodies, balls of light that Nebilim knew very well what meant. However, the Dark Lord wasn't any interested in absorb the souls of those "pitiful bandits". After all, they didn't have anything of special.

It had been fun see their scared faces while he cut and cleaved them in two, but now he had to go back to business. He still have Doom's Blood and after absorb Kermish's soul he got all the power he needed to become solid again, as well as the little knowledge the fallen Chosen One had about his afterlife experience and the times he studied magic.

_It's not great thing, but at least it completes my knowledge about this spirit state. After all, I was never technically dead._, the flaming wraith thought, a grin crossing over his red mouth.

Transforming the crystal fragments that left into dark fog, Nebilim absorbed the fog and felt the last bit of power from Kermish's mutated body flow into his being. He then floated to another part of the ruins and found what he was looking for. Stretching his hand, Nebilim awakened the Elemental Heart once again.

Grinning again, the dark spirit touched the surface of the great gem and started to concentrate on the task at hand. It was a good idea to deactivate the Elemental Heart before, so those annoying heroes would have to leave the fortress and even the spirits would think he was beaten for good.

It was incredible how the mere fact of being protected against the foresight of the Summon Spirits could be so useful. He never really understood how he gained that kind of protection. Maybe he earned it when he summoned _him _and merged their souls, but that didn't matter now. The important was that he was able to deceive those entities yet again. Soon they would all feel the weight of his power, the Summon Spirits and those heroes...

- - - - -

Yuan and Colette were having their breakfast when Sheena came down from the stairs. Colette gave good day to her friend and Sheena returned and sat with them, grabbing a nearby bread and some juice.

"Where are the others?", Sheena asked, noticing the other members of the group were missing.

"Regal is in the bathroom. He cooked for us and now is going to do the dishes. Raine and Zelos went to sleep in his house, I think Genis and Presea went with them. How's Lloyd?", the blond, smiling girl asked.

"Sleeping like a stone, as always. I tried to shake him, but even so he didn't wake. I think you can even stab him and this won't have any effect.", Sheena said.

"Well, it must be natural for him, after all the activity you two had last night.", Yuan saidin a casual tone, taking a sip of his juice. Sheena gasped with juice in her mouth, her cheeks getting crimson red. "You know, it's in times like this I would like to don't have angelic hearing.", Yuan said, thoughtfully.

The two angels just continued to eat their sandwiches and drink their juices while Sheena just looked to them with an embarrassed look. Lloyd and her had come to the Inn sooner to avoid someone hear them, but she hadn't count someone with angel hearing.

Regal came from the kitchen carrying some food in a plate. Seeing Sheena, he greeted his friend and sat at one of the points of the table. With a snicker on his face, the blue haired president asked how she had passed the last night, what made Sheena got more flushed.

"Are you all sticking your ears to my door or something?", Sheena asked.

"No, but my room is next to yours and I heard someone beating in the wall followed by some mumble. Luckily I always bring some ear plugs with me. You know, the winds in Altamira can be a lot of noisy in tempestuous nights.", Regal said, filling his glass with juice.

"I'm happy that you and Lloyd are getting along so well, but it's just that you two could do a little lower.", Colette said with a innocent smile and giggle, like she was talking about a casual subject.

Before the female ninja could say anything to her blond friend, Lloyd came downstairs, already dressing his red shirt and black pants, smelling the scent of the food. He gave an "hello" to his friends, sat and grabbed the nearest bread, beginning to make a sandwich. One thing in the boy's figure called the attention of the present heroes: his hair was all messy and clearly uncombed.

"Bad hair day Lloyd?", Yuan asked, a grin plastered over his face.

"Not so much.", the boy answered, not taking his eyes off his food. Regal couldn't help but chuckle at that while Colette giggled and Sheena tried to hide her face in her hands.

"So, last night was good, wasn't it?", Colette asked, drawing a look of betrayal from Sheena, but the young girl couldn't help, it was simply too much funny to see Lloyd and Sheena embarrassed.

"Yeah, it was. Pity that it ended.", the Eternal Swordsman said the last phrase almost without thinking.

Yuan was almost laughing over, Regal also had to put his hand in his mouth to don't let the sound to scape and Colette's giggles were getting louder. Sheena just wanted to bury herself somewhere. The young woman really loved Lloyd unconditionally, but there was times she desired he wasn't so oblivious to things around him.

Not standing that anymore, Sheena spoke:

"Lloyd, they heard us.", the female ninja's boyfriend looked to her with a confused look. Seeing she didn't have any other option, the grand summoner said. "Did you remember I asked you if you still have some energy and you said yes?", at that point Lloyd catch what his lover was saying and got red beet.

The rest of the group couldn't hold it anymore and laughed soundly. The two lovers looked to the table, faces the tone of Lloyd's shirt. They just wanted to throw themselves into Shadow's abyss to never show their faces again.

- - - - -

After had breakfast, the group of heroes met in the city's plaza. Zelos, Raine, Genis and Presea came from the stairs to the upper quarters. The group then noticed that one member of their group was missing: Merilius. Sheena asked where her cousin was and Regal answered the last time he saw the older Child of the Light was in the Coliseum.

Before the female ninja could go to the big, circular building, Merilius appeared, coming from the low part of the city, and greeted them. Colette asked where he had been and the dark-blue haired half-elf answered:

"I spent the rest of the night out of the city, walking around the fields. Don't worry, like I said before, I have already spent nights awake many times before. Oh, by the way, how was your night, Sheena and Lloyd?", Merilius gave a snicker that was an almost perfect imitation of Zelos' naughty one.

"What the...! Are you all stalking us or something?!", Lloyd asked while Sheena just tried to locate some corner where she could disappear from sight. The group gave out another chuckle at their reactions.

"Sorry Lloyd, but it's just that you two are so funny that it's hard to resist.", Colette said, with a warm smile on her face, but giggling.

"Did you know you can really be cruel sometimes, Colette?", Lloyd whimpered.

After end their laugh over Lloyd and Sheena's embarrassment, the group started to discuss what each one will do now that the battles were over. Colette and Yuan would go to Iselia, for her to communicate her decision of work with the Renegades to her family. Sheena and Lloyd would go to the new Mizuho, for the female ninja to take her position of new chief and see what the red clad swordsman could do in the village.

Genis and Raine would go back to Sybak to return to their works and studies. Presea would go with them. Zelos would stay in Meltokio to help the King to control the effects of the last happenings and to watch over his sister. Regal would go back to his company.

As the group ended to discuss their plans, they turned to Merilius, who was leaning over a nearby fence, seeming distracted from their talk. Upon notice the looks of his new friends, the light bearer asked why they were looking to him. Sheena then asked what he was going to do now.

"I still thinking.", the older Child of the Light answered.

"Well, my propose for you to go with us to Mizuho still up.", Sheena remembered him.

Merilius opened his mouth to answer, but immediately closed it and looked to the sky, hand flying to the hilt of his sword as the other heroes with elven blood also looked up. They had sensed a great disturbance in the mana above them.

The skies suddenly got clouded, blocking part of the sun's light and making the entire environment to a little dark. Then lights started to come from the heavy clouds above, fiery red lights. People who were walking around stopped to look on the strange phenomenon. Then a part of the thick cloud blanket opened and what the group saw made they lose their breathes. Inside the lower layer of clouds there were others that were shining with vivid, red lights, with occasional flashes that seemed thunders.

Lloyd could swear he saw monstrous faces draw in the red lights and the angels in group heard what looked like howls and screeches. Then the sounds silenced, thought the clouds still circulating and showing the ominous, red layers inside it. The shine seemed to intensify and the group saw something passing through the lower layer of clouds and coming to land. When they looked again, they realized it was a big ball of fire, but that wasn't what scared them the most. When the first fire ball was half-way to Meltokio, several others started to fall from the skies.

"Oh my go...", Zelos exclaimed, unable to end the line as the fire balls were getting closer to land.

"EVERYBODY, TAKE COVER!!!", Merilius shouted to all the people around when the first fire ball fell near them, causing earth to rose.

Meltokio turned into a picture of panic. By everywhere, fire balls fell and destroyed nearby houses, fences and plants. Some fell near the castle and inside the Coliseum, damaging the structures. The houses near the places the flaming spheres fell caught fire. Soon good part of the city was in flames. It looked like Doomsday had finally come.

When the "rain" stopped, the group lowered their defenses, they had drawn their Divine Souls and used their defensive techniques. There was a steaming crater near them and several other people were crawling out of their improvised shelters. Genis and the other half-elven members of the party felt a great precipitation of energy inside the crater. Before they could speak a pillar of flames rose from inside the crater and started to shape itself.

The demon that rose was an ominous creature, two times the size of an adult man, that seemed to be made entirely by melting rock and fire. Merilius looked around and saw where the "fire balls" had fallen, monster started to rise, ready to destroy anything in their path.

"This isn't good.", Yuan muttered, readying for combat as the flaming demon spotted them and roared, making hot air to blow at their faces.

"It's worse, this thing is a Shasnire.", Merilius said.

"You mean, 'Fire Rain'?", Raine asked, speaking the translation to the term. The dark-blue haired half-elf nodded.

The fire demon brought his hand back and concentrated fire on it, throwing a large ball of flames and melted rock at them. The group dispersed and Genis immediately casted Spread in the creature, making the monster to roar in pain as steam was produced from the shock between water and intense heat. The monster growled again as flames ignited stronger in his body and he breathed fire on the nearest people.

Yuan, Regal and Merilius tried to get close, but the heat was so strong that they started to sweat when they were three meters near the demon. Deciding a direct approach wouldn't have good results, they let Genis cast an ice spell on the flaming creature and Colette to throw her sacred chackrans.

Freeze Lancer produced more steam and Triple Ray Thrust hit the creature in the head. The demon's flames finally extinguished and the melee fighter of the group could get close to attack the creature. Some blow latter, the demon fell to the ground, dissolving into a cloud of pure energy, which the half-elves of the group assumed was chaos energy.

"It didn't end yet, there are more of these creatures coming. They always attack in bands, so the only way to stop them is to kill the leader.", Merilius said to the group.

"Then it's better we divide into two groups.", Yuan suggested. "I, Lloyd, Colette and Zelos will search for the leader, the rest of you go and help to evacuate the city. It seems these things' target is only the city, so the civilians may be safe out in the fields."

The group nodded and prepared to separate. They would have to fight their way through the city to rescue people and they could see more demons raining from the skies. Before Merilius could follow the rest of his group, Lloyd asked to the magic swordsman:

"How will we know who's the leader?"

"Simple: it's the biggest and ugliest monster.", Merilius said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

As the rest of the group left to help the civilians, Yuan started to look around with his angelic vision. Lloyd said for them to go, but the former Seraphim made signal for him to wait. The Eternal Swordsman asked what he was looking for and the blue haired angel answered:

"If he's the one summoning these monsters, then he needs to be at a place with a good view over the city. Ah, there!", Yuan said, pointing to the castle.

Lloyd and the others could see, grabbed at the highest tower, was a big, flaming demon, overlooking the city. They could see the thing had one long horn sprouting from its forehead and a mane made out of pure lava. The creature also had two flaming ornaments that looked like wings on its back.

"Well, he was right. That thing is really ugly.", Zelos pointed out to the sharp fangs and the face made of melted rock.

"Whatever. Let's just take him down.", Lloyd said, making his wings to appear. The rest of the group did the same and flew to the tower.

While the angels were reaching for the leader Shasnire, Merilius and the rest of the group were surrounded by several other demons at the entrance of the Coliseum. The trees had been totally burnt and the great circular building was with several cracks and holes on it, thanks to some demons who were punching it and throwing fire balls in attempt to bring the building down.

Genis had casted Tidal Wave to extinguish the flames of the demons, Raine was also immobilizing some with Shining Seal. Presea was trying to attack from distance, by throwing rocks and dust at the nearest monsters to appease their flames and make the heat tolerable enough for one of the melee fighters land some blows.

The demons weren't much resistant against the strikes of the Divine Souls: three to four hits on the head were enough to bring one of the flaming creatures down. The ice and water magics of Genis weakened them with ease. The only problem was the numbers. Each time a demon was brought down, another fell from the skies, almost landing over them, what they were certain would hurt as much as one of the hits of the meteors Genis could conjure.

"Remember...", Regal said, kicking a demon in the face with one of the many sharp points in his Divine Soul and again kicking it with a downward kick, with enough strength to bring the monster to its knees. "Our objective isn't to defeat them all, but rescue and save the more innocents we can."

"It's hard to think of the two as separated things.", Genis inputted, casting Spread in another demon near to him. Thankfully, the Divine Soul amplified the young warlock's magic powers to levels he could never reach with any other weapon.

Two demons spotted Sheena leading some people through the still intact bridge. They prepared to launch balls of lava and fire at the bridge. The younger Child of the Light noticed that and hurried the people. She then saw a little girl tripping and falling in the hurry, she wouldn't get up at time.

The flaming projectiles were already flying to its target when the ninja ran to catch the girl before the deadly shots could do. The little girl had just time to close her eyes with her tiny hands before a purple blur quickly come and grab her, jumping right in the time the bridge was hit, being effectively destroyed.

Landing in the other side, Sheena saw a woman coming, as she put the girl in the floor, who still trembling from the almost death experience. Receiving thanks from the civilians, the female ninja said it was nothing and advised them to get out of the city. The two nodded and ran away. The young woman then turned to were her companions were and yelled to them:

"We ended there! Come here so we can go to the next area!"

The group acknowledged their summoner friend and ran to the bridge. Genis decided to cast a last spell against the monsters and used Gravity Well on them. The creature's movement turned slow, almost like someone had put them into slow camera mode. That would delay those things.

The heroes ran through what was left of the bridge and jumped. Good thing they haven't removed their expheres yet, or it could take some time to cross that bridge. When everyone was at the other side, they ran to the upper quarters, where demons were falling. They knew the guard of the city had probably removed the people from the lower quarters and the slums, so they now had to worry with save the King, again...

- - - - -

At the tip of the highest tower of Meltokio's castle, the Shasnire leader overlooked the city. Though he couldn't smile, he was glad at the work his subordinates were doing. There were those annoying little people that have been eliminating some of his brethren, but that doesn't matter. He could easily replace the dead demons by calling more. The city was already in flames and soon it would be totally devastated. The master would be pleased.

Then the flaming monster saw people coming to his way, people with wings. He didn't know the beings of that world had wings, but that didn't matter. He would just destroy them as he was doing to their city. Breathing fire against the flying formation, the demon leader tried to make more of his troops to fall at them, but missed.

One of the flying people, with golden hair, threw several rings against him. He charged a ball of lava and threw against the shinning projectiles, hitting and making some to fall while others still in his way. The leader Shasnire quickly climbed to the back of the tower, avoiding the rings. He then appeared in the other side and flapped his ornament wings. Those wings didn't serve to fly, but he could attack with them.

The monster sent flames against the group. One of them spun a double-edged at his front like a propeller, defending from his attack. Other two with swords flew to him. Seeing they were getting close, the flaming demon started to charge more energy in his body. The two angels stopped at seeing that and were almost catching by the flaming wave that was released from the body of the creature.

"We cannot get nearer to that thing.", Zelos said.

Colette again threw her chackrans, but the demon quickly climbed the sides of the tower to avoid the sacred projectiles. Yuan looked down there to see some soldiers trying to defend the doors of the castle from some Shasnires, who breathed fire on them, incinerating the humans.

Lloyd tried again to approach, but the flaming monster again breathed fire, making the air got unbearably hot. The red clad swordsman had to fly back. The demon charged a spell and casted Flame Lance against the Eternal Swordsman. The young man avoided the spell, but was hit in the leg by a ball of melted rock.

Yuan came up with an idea while Lloyd tried to readjust himself in the air. Colette was casting Angel Feathers, but the demon still hiding behind to the tower to avoid her attacks. The former Seraphim then spoke to the Eternal Swordsman:

"Lloyd, use the Vorpal Blade against him. The power of ice from that sword may be enough to protect you from the heat.", Yuan then casted Spark Wave against the leader Shasnire, but the spell did none damage to him.

Deciding to try Lloyd made his other Divine Soul sword shrunk back to its crystal form. The halve then flew to the other that was in the dual swordsman's left hand and united. The light blade shone brightly and took a longer and sharper form. The Eternal Swordsman felt more power emanating from the weapon. Probably the weapon have had its power divided when the crystal halved to fit him.

Leaving to analyze that latter, Lloyd drew his Vorpal Blade and stayed in a fight stance. The Divine Soul readjusted its weight to match with the other blade at the young man's hand. The dual swordsman found it was really incredible how his new, legendary weapon could just adjust itself each time to better be wield by him.

"Ok, now you're down, pal.", Lloyd said, flying to the monster, who breathed fire on him. The Eternal Swordsman put his icy blade at his front, cutting the flames that tried to burn him. The sword produced a wave of cold to maintain the air around its wielder at normal temperature.

Lloyd finally reached the monster and slashed at its side, making the flames extinguish where he had hit. Zelos and the others took the chance and each one slashed the leader demon at the side that was temporary vulnerable. The creature roared and ignited again, releasing a fire wave around it.

Colette aligned the chackrans and threw Barrage. This time, the Shasnire didn't have time to avoid and was caught by the spinning, round projectiles. Lloyd again dove for an attack and the monster tried to chase him away by breathing fire and throwing balls of fire and melted rock, but the dual swordsman cut each one using the Vorpal Blade. The flaming creature tried to, yet, hit him with its claws, just for the red clad angel to circulate around the arm and slash it with his sword, cutting all the extension of the limb and the face of the demon in the process.

The flaming creature roared in anger again, breathing fire to all the directions, in a berserker rage. The breathes hit the other towers of the castle, entering in the rooms by the open windows and setting ablaze the furniture and the carpet. Soon even the great building was on fire. Yuan and Zelos attacked the monster with quick slashes when it stopped its attack. With a Super Lightning Blade and Thunder Explosion attacks on the head of the beast, the leader Shasnire gave out a final growl and lost his strength, falling from the tower and dissolving into chaos energy and flames before even hit the ground.

The rain of demons finally stopped with the death of the leader of the band. Sheena and the others achieved to evacuate the noble quarters and the castle, right after defeat some demons that achieved to invade the castle and were burning some soldiers. The land group went to the gates, as the angels flew down, some exhausted by the heat they had been exposed to.

When the group was reunited again, they heard a sound of clapping coming from their left. Looking to one of the houses that had been destroyed by the fire demons, they saw Nebilim's flaming figure, with a grin on his face, flames flickering around his dark form. The group stood in a fight stance while the Dark Lord's spirit talked, still clapping:

"Bravo my friends, bravo. I knew if I let some demons on loose, it'll call your attention. And congratulations, you passed the test."

"So you're alive. I knew I had seen something.", Zelos said.

"Alive? Well, I don't know for sure, but this will become a reality soon.", flashes appeared around the group of heroes, revealing the Summon Spirits. "Ah, so the other stars arrived, good. Now I can give the message for all of you at once."

"And why don't you appear personally to do so?", Maxwell asked.

The heroes shot a confused look to the Summon Spirits. Shadow said that this image was just an illusion, Nebilim was somewhere else. Aska explained they had gotten to know the dark spirit still in that world when Luna's scar started to inflict pain on her. The flaming spirit grinned and let out a chuckle, leaving obvious it had been him who had activated the corruption on the scar to call the guardian entities' attention.

"Unfortunately, I'm much busy preparing everything for the show. I'm sure you all are so tired of this situation as much as I.", Nebilim said, now wearing a serious look.

"You got that right.", Merilius said, eager to jump and attack that image of his family's mortal enemy, even if it was just an illusion.

"Well, then let's not delay the inevitable anymore. If you want to face me and see who is the one that will truly bring peace and order to this world, encounter me at the front of the Mana Tree. If you don't go, I'll be forced to repeat the entry act you just saw here across the cities of this world."

The group gulped at the though of all that happening again in the entire other cities of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. The skies above them still with that same ominous appearance and they could see those clouds stretching until where the eyes could reach. Nebilim was controlling this strange phenomenon and it probably was covering all Tethe'alla if not the entire world.

Seeing they had caught the message, the illusion of the Dark Lord smiled one last time and disappeared in a swirl of flames. The heroes then looked between themselves. Sheena asked to the spirits how Nebilim was capable of did all of that.

"By what it looks, he absorbed the Elemental Heart and is using its power to control the mana flows of this world.", Efreet said.

Volt also spoke, having Raine to translate:

"'Like the Elemental Heart have our mana, he now have access to the mana flows we managed and is twisting the mana in them, creating this effect you see in the skies. Combined with the powers he has over Chaos, he can use the mana flows to open portals between Niflheim and this world.' So it was how he brought these demons here."

"We don't have any option, but go to the Mana Tree. Nebilim can attack all cities around this world at the same time the way he's now and we can't possibly save everybody if he does so.", Celsius said.

The group then nodded and took their Rheairds out, they would go get more equipment in the nearest Renegade Base and then go to the plains of the Mana Tree...

- - - - -

Sheena held Vallor's necklace while piloting the Rheaird with the other hand. They had caught some armors and healing items in the Renegade Base. Yuan communicated with Denvir and found he and the other Renegade soldiers had helped to evacuate Meltokio and were helping the people to find a place where they would be safe.

The former Seraphim sighed in relief and said for him to keep Meltokio's people save until they ended their fight against Nebilim. Inwardly, Yuan was nervous and some of anxious. That damned spirit proved he could be a crafty and terrible opponent and now he was twisting the mana flows of the world like they were paper. Not even the Summon Spirit were able to make the environment turn back to its normal state, due Nebilim could simply make it got in that way again.

"Don't worry.", Lloyd said for his friends behind him from his Rheaird, making them to look at him. "We already beat this guy and we can do it again.", the Eternal Swordsman tried to smile to assure his friends of what he was saying, but his mouth just curved in a half-smile.

"You all proved that you're more than capable to deal with him. Don't worry, the spirits and I will be there to help you and make sure everything end well.", Vallor said from his necklace.

The Mana Tree finally came into view and they started to descend towards it. The mood around the three, which generally was a peaceful and serene one, was heavy and loaded with apprehensiveness. It seems even the source of the world's life was being affected by the situation.

The gray-dull clouds have been present during the entire time, giving away the sensation that the solar light had been blocked from the world. When the heroes landed, they found Martel near the tree, seeming to wait for them. She probably had been warned about the situation by the Summon Spirits or sensed it by herself.

The guardian entities of that world also appeared. The group then waited for Nebilim to show up, drawing and standing attentive to all the surroundings, in the case of a surprise attack. A venous voice then echoed through the plains:

"So, the guest stars finally arrived...", the voice seemed to come from the clouds and the group looked above.

Dark mist was coming out of the thick layer of clouds and started to form a ring in the skies. When the cloud right above the ring opened, showing the vibrant red lights inside it, something shone brightly, like a tiny sun, from inside the red layer of clouds. The shine then shot to the earth, in the direction of the spirits and the Heroes of the Worlds.

When the round object stopped some meters away of the group, they saw it was Doom's Blood. Nebilim's flaming shadow materialized over the crystal, making it seem the jewel was embedded in his chest. Some of the dark mist from the ring in the skies came together with the demonic jewel and started to circulate around the dark spirit.

"Now the stage is armed and the show may start.", the Dark Lord said, with a wide and almost psychotic smile on his flaming face...

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Anxious? Well I am.

Next chapter, final battles against Nebilim will begin! Stay tunned and remember: don't hear to that venous, evil voice on your head.


	60. Apocalypse

From the depts of the Dark Abyss... from the boiling, lava pits of the Hellfire itself... from the very sense of dread and fear nagging in your mind... comes this chapter!!! *screams in the background*

Well it have been a long road until now and I'm sorry it took so long. I'm some of busy with my college's proves and works now and you know how hard is to do the chapters that were supposed to carry a decent final fight. Well, if you don't, just look at how much time it took to some writers to launch their final fic's chapters. Anyway, i compliment you all by your courage until now. I can say this is the longest one-chapter fight I made until now, so enjoy it!

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**Chapter 60**

**Apocalypse**

Thunders and red lights cut the skies around the plains of the Mana Tree. Nebilim's shadow was at the front of the Heroes of the Worlds and the Summon Spirits, all ready for the upcoming battle. Lloyd and the others stayed in a fight stance.

"Now, now. Do we need to start right now? I was going to give you one last chance. You're stronger than I previously thought, but you should have noticed by now that all of it is useless.", Nebilim said. "I'm far more than a mortal being, you can't kill me."

"I don't think so.", Lloyd spoke, pointing his Divine Soul to the Dark Lord. "Do you think we will let a twisted, mad guy like you kill people again just for the good of bring a suppose peace. Killing won't bring any peace or order, it'll just make the things got worse."

"Then what do you suggest, to try and find out a way to appease everybody's will? That's impossible. People have the tendency to think they know what they want, that it'll be good for them, when they will just create skirmishes and make the natural equilibrium go out of balance. You try to talk with them, but they simply won't listen to you, cause they're just too much convinced that they know all to listen to the voice of the reason."

"Are you talking about the humans or the elves?", Yuan asked, making Nebilim to grid his teeth.

With everything they saw of Nebilim's ego, they knew he was probably talking about the humans or even the half-elves, but when they heard that the ancient Dark Lord attacked even the elves, they weren't sure if the dark spirit still so praised to belong to that race anymore. Maybe he now considered himself something more, like he had just said.

"Both. But the elves just got like this because of the ideas the humans brought. Those rats have been plaguing this world with their ignorance about the delicate equilibrium of the mana and their blind eyes for too long.", Nebilim stretched an arm and closed his fist to make emphasis to his intentions. "Just look what happened in the Kharlan War and with Mithos. It all happened because of the humans' limited thinking and ignorance. And this even affected elves, forcing them to abandon our proud, magic lore. There's no other explanation for the actual elves to turn into these petty projects of magicians they are today.

"So, like the human influence have polluted this world beyond any recovery, there's only one way to fix the things and bring peace: destroy everything and start creation over.", even the Summon Spirits gasped at that. What Nebilim was proposing was unthinkable for anyone, including an elf.

The Dark Lord's "proposes" for fixing the world always involved death, destruction and dominance over people, but never before he talked about erasing all creation. He would, eventually, talk about bringing to extinction the human race, but total destruction was something totally different.

Shadow then hissed at that, asking what good Nebilim thought that destroying everything would bring, the wraith smiled again before answer:

"Simple. The creation have been left alone, without anyone to maintain the grip on its leashes, and walked right to chaos. But, if I remake everything at my image, I'll maintain a close grip on it and make sure the equilibrium and order will be maintained."

"Let me get this straight. So you think you can become a god. Has all your power got to your ego or are you just really mad?", Sheena asked, almost not believing someone could be so egocentric to that point.

"Hu, it seems so.", Regal said. "You think just because you may know a little more than the living beings of this world this gives to you any power over creation. Nobody has the power to remake the creation if not the gods."

"Gods?! Hahahahaha!!!", Nebilim laughed. "Ok, right... gods. If they're so omnipotent and powerful, why didn't they stop the humans from turning this world upside down? The closest thing to a god here is the Summon Spirits and they just sat around, leaving the humans do whatever they want. We don't need deities like this."

Yuan, Raine, Sheena and Merilius knew that Nebilim would probably scorn at that idea. The elves didn't really believe in gods, they preferred to believe in things they could see and touch, like the Summon Spirits and their mana. By so, the elves worshiped those guardian entities and, considering the thoughts of the magical race in Nebilim's time, didn't believe or knew about something superior to them, so they preferred to ignore the existence of deities.

Origin and the spirits decided to ignore Nebilim's comment, though they took the thoughts of the Dark Lord like something offensive. Martel came front and entered in the talk:

"He's right. You don't have any right or power to remake creation. You're just letting your suppose power to guide your actions and that will be your undoing, Neran Bailium.", Nebilim gridded his teeth at being called like that by the Spirit of the Tree, but stayed quiet. "You don't have knowledge, honor, neither a heart to really become a god. Nobody in this world has."

"Do you think so?", the dark mist around Nebilim seemed to get agitated. The heroes and spirits readied their weapons. "Then just watch. I'll chop this tree off and put an end to the miserable beings of this planet, then I'll make a new world at my image. Maybe I even let the demons come, after all, they were more loyal to me than many mortal beings and I'll need different species to my new world..."

The ring of dark clouds in the skies transformed into two currents, which shot to Nebilim. The wraith's flames went out as his body absorbed the dark mist around him. The Dark Lord's shadow let out a roar, seeming that two different voices were coming from the same being. As Nebilim's figure started to grown, the roar turned more guttural, assuming the tone of a true demon.

The group watched in shock as Nebilim's figure mutated into an humongous image of what seemed to be some kind of beast with two pairs of wings, claws and horns. When the Dark Lord stopped to grown, he was almost the size of the actual Mana Tree and the darkness covering his figure gave space to other colors as the giant beast fell, standing on its four legs, causing a tremendous quake.

When the heroes and spirits looked again they saw what seemed to be a cross between a wolf and a dragon. The head was the one of a wolf, with gray fur, ears and two fangs of the size of a teenager in the front of the mouth. The back legs also looked to be the ones of a wolf, but some of muscular. The front legs were two dragon arms, with sharp claws of the size of swords. The chest was covered by gray fur, but at the lower part it turned into the scaled belly of a dragon.

Red-blood scales covered all the back of the monster and marine-blue spikes, pointing to backwards, went down through all the gargantuan creature's spine until the point of the tail, where sprouted three straight, long spikes. The eyes of the beast were of a piercing, golden yellow with dark-red, vertical pupils. Horns sprouted from the monster's cheek and below the ears, the ones at the mouth made a turn and pointed to the front, staying some distance from the demon's jaw, the ones in the head sprouted to the sides and made a circle before point upwards.

The monster then shook its head and glanced over the heroes, letting out a ear-piercing roar, making winds to blow at them. Vallor and the other spirits seemed almost petrified at seeing the humongous monster. Shadow spoke, in a rare, scared tone:

"Im... possible... Apocalypse...", before the group had time to ask what the darkness entity meant, the giant demon charged at them, making the ground to shake with his tremendous weight.

The group of heroes was ready to get out of the way when the monster jumped above them, startling the party even more when they saw to where that creature was going to land: right in the Mana Tree. Martel realized that and immediately teleported to near the tree and twirled her staff in the air. The tree behind her glowed and grew at incredible speed, reaching its full-grown form, the same Lloyd and Colette saw when the world's life source had reborn.

The dragon-wolf monster sunk his claws at the trunk, not seeming surprised by the defense raised by Martel, and started to bite and scar the tree, creating marks and fissures in the wooden surface, which soon healed. The heroes recovered from the shock and were ready to go after the transformed Nebilim when Origin warned:

"If you go without a plan, you'll be just killing yourselves.", the group immediately stopped and turned to the King of the Summon Spirits. "That is Apocalypse, the Lord of the Demonic Beasts, one of the three Demon Lords who rules over Niflheim like gods. It seems Nebilim has absorbed his spirit. That explains everything."

Yuan and Merilius, gasped at that. The rest of the heroes looked from their two friends to the Summon Spirits, trying to realize what all of that meant. Yuan then explain that, when he was a child, there was a tale about when the world was still young and that there was a war between the Summon Spirits and the demons. In the tale, it was mentioned that three Demon Lords commanded the unholy creatures.

"It was the truth.", Efreet explained. "The demons took domain over this world much before the elves come. They spread their energies and their auras through these lands, which were so powerful that the primitive life-forms couldn't survive. When the first Tree was planted, the demons started to lose their powers over the land due the mana being an energy opposite to Chaos, which is the element they drew their forces from. Many demons died because of that and they decided to fight against the elves to get back the domain over the planet."

"We came when new life started to bloom in this world. The mana was all that some beings needed to survive and evolve and we were assigned to help this world and its beings.", Undine spoke. "However, the demons thought of us and the elves like being invaders. I heard they already have a quarrel against our higher lords because of the Creation and the change in Chaos, so they just needed a motive to actually declare war."

"To short the things: we won, the demons took their beaten asses back to Niflheim, which was the place they took like home since the Creation, but one Demon Lord decided to play a smart ass and continued to fight until we destroyed his body and powers. This guy was Apocalypse. Well at least I think he's called like this. I don't know, these guys have so many names.", Gnome said.

"And Nebilim found a way to summon his spirit and merge with his own, probably through he Necronomicon.", Raine guessed, getting all the information that have been passed for her. "This explains all these strange powers he has and how he could control even demons. They must have recognized their lord's powers on him."

A scream attracted the group's attention. They turned and saw Martel, holding her staff upwards. Gashes started to appear over her body as Apocalypse attacked the Mana Tree, which wasn't regenerating the marks anymore. The group realized she wouldn't hold him for much time.

"Ok, then how do we defeat him? Use the Divine Souls?", Lloyd asked in a hurried tone.

"In this case they won't work.", Maxwell said, now drawing gasps from the mortal members of the party. "The Demon Lords are the children of Chaos itself, they exist much before the Divine Souls being made and by so, the weapons can't recognize them as being good or evil, since they have enough knowledge to dribble such concepts. Our powers won't work too, since Nebilim has absorbed the Elemental Heart, which now give to him immunity to our mana."

Colette was about to ask how they would stop that monster then, when Vallor spoke:

"However, the fact remains that we're speaking about Nebilim, a dark spirit. There's a way to break the shields around him and past the defenses that his Demon Lord form gives to him. We have to hit him with a strong charge of pure spiritual energy opposite to his, without any kind of association to mana. And the one that has enough power to do this it's me."

"But how are you going to do this?", Genis asked.

"Simple, by being summoned by a summoner.", the ancient hero looked to Sheena and asked to her descendant if she understood that. The female ninja nodded and turned to explain to her friends.

"By summoning him, I'll lend to Vallor part of my mana and my strength. Normally, the Summon Spirit can convert the mana lent by the summoner into his own to attack. Since Vallor isn't like the other spirits, he can convert my mana into his own energy and attack using all of it."

"He... help!", Martel yelled from her place, gashes all over her arms, belly and legs. "I can't... hold him!"

Deciding they finally had a course of action, Genis started to charge a spell to call the attention of the big demon. Sheena decided to stay away of the group to summon while the strongest warriors of their team distracted the humongous beast. Regal, Presea and Colette would protect their summoner friend in case Apocalypse noticed what she was trying to do. Everything depended on the young Child of the Light call Vallor to fight, so the priority of the rest of the group was to distract that monster. The Summon Spirits faded, since their powers would be useless for now.

"Hey! Over here, you cheap project of big bad wolf! Explosion!", Genis taunted, casting the spell, which hit the back of the giant monster, releasing a powerful wave of flames, stronger than the young warlock remembered he could cast.

"Wow! That was a good spell Genis.", Lloyd said, looking at the cloud of smoke and hot air that was released.

"Thanks. But...", the little magician didn't need to end his phrase, for in that moment, the smoke subsided and Apocalypse appeared, totally unharmed. "I knew this wouldn't work.", Yuan made a comment like "you attracted his attention, didn't you? So it worked".

The humongous beast looked to the heroes from his position in the Tree and detached from the trunk, landing his big, front paws in the ground with a loud thud. Martel knelled at that moment and Raine went to the Spirit of the Tree, asking if she was alright.

"Fortunately, he didn't broke the barrier.", Martel said, as the rest of the group approached to her while the Demon Lord beat his paw in the ground and dragged it back, in a bull-like fashion. "I'll try to help you, but my attacks are mostly using the pure form of the mana, so I can't promise anything."

"No problem, it's just my sister there make her summoning that the time to attack will really come.", Merilius said.

Apocalypse then jumped and started to run at the direction of the group, clearly intending to run over them. All the angels showed their wings, preparing to take flight at the right hour. Zelos put his hands around Raine's waist, who looked to her boyfriend, asking what he would do with her eyes.

"The better way to get away of a charging beast is by flying.", the red headed Chosen One answered, with a snicker in his face. He actually was enjoying the close contact to his beautiful professor.

Lloyd took Genis' wrist, as they waited for Yuan to give to them the signal. When the older Seraphim shouted for them to fly, the giant demon was almost upon them, but they achieved to took flight and evade the charge of the gargantuan monster. Martel and Merilius teleported away. Apocalypse tried to stop after realize his attack hadn't take anything, but slided some meters away after pass by the angels, scarring the land in his way.

The Eternal Swordsman and the others landed with some distance from the demon. Telling for Raine and Genis to get away and try to cast their spells from a safe place. The siblings tried to argue, but even Zelos and Yuan spoke at Lloyd's favor, saying the two, though powerful with their spells, didn't have enough reflexes to dodge from something that big. Recognizing their friends were saying the truth, the two half-elves moved away of them, going to a place where Martel had reappeared and was beckoning them to come.

The group turned to look at the giant monster, who seemed to look at them with greedy eyes, like a predator trying to discover what flavor his prey had before actually go to chase it. Apocalypse then stretched his front wings and the limbs strangely turned to the group of heroes and flapped, sending two giant balls of wind. Lloyd and the others avoided the attack by flying again, but, at the air, had surprise.

Apocalypse's eyes shone with a red gleam and two rays shot from it, at the direction of Lloyd and Yuan. The two tried to avoid the attack, but Yuan wasn't quick enough and was caught in the leg, what made he to clutch and delay time enough for the humongous beast to hit him with the full beam, which exploded in contact with his body, sending the Seraphim away.

Zelos tried to approach the demonic beast, but it breathed fire on him, making the red haired angel to make a mortal jump in midair and fly to the side to avoid the flames that tried to engulf him. While the angel swordsman tried to get away, Lloyd approached to Apocalypse without the monster notice and drew his Divine Soul, ready to slash at the scales of the back of the monster. The sacred weapon's blade badly touched the scaled surface and it was repelled violently back, like there was a magical shield by all over the body of the Demon Lord.

Before the Eternal Swordsman could do anything more, one of Apocalypse's wings near him flapped up and hit him, while the demon started to run again. Lloyd was sent to the spikes at the back of the giant beast, which suddenly got erected and started to glow purple. The spikes cut the dual swordsman's body with its sharp blades, even his wings were hit in the process. When the gargantuan monster's main body passed, the red clad angel was hit by the tail, going to the ground. Sheena watched all of that and almost left her position to go and help Lloyd, but Vallor's voice held her back, saying she would help him more by summoning him. The female ninja had to use all her self-control to force herself to continue the summoning enchantment.

The hero of the Forgotten Ages had warned his descendant that summoning him would be different from summoning other spirits. Sheena discovered he was right when she started to charge the spell, the amount of mana she needed to call Vallor, a spirit that hadn't any bounds with that world, was higher than the one she needed to call for the Summon Spirits and that alone was difficult due the twist Nebilim make to the mana flows. However, she could feel she was almost getting to it. Just some more time and she would be able to summon him into battle.

Martel and Merilius teleported near to Lloyd while Yuan and Zelos distracted Apocalypse, which was now trying to cleave them with his sharp claws. The Eternal Swordsman tried to stand, but noticed he couldn't move his wings. Looking back, he saw his great wings twisted in ways he knew weren't normal and feathers falling from them.

"This is bad.", Martel said. "He broke your wings."

"Broke them? I never thought this was possible.", Lloyd said. Several times in the past he used his wings in battle and some people tried to hit them, just the weapons just pass right through the mana limbs like they were ghostly.

"With normal enemies no, but we're talking about a Demon Lord.", Merilius said. "It's better you guard your wings, you won't be able to fly anytime soon."

After Martel had applied an enchantment to normalize Lloyd's mana, the red clad angel made his wings to disappear. Apocalypse looked to the young man and slammed his paw in the ground, sending a great, vertical wave of energy, which scared the ground at the way of the three warriors. The Spirit of the Tree teleported away with Lloyd and Merilius ran at high speed. When the blade of energy reached where they had been it exploded, sending grass and dirty to everywhere.

The Eternal Swordsman and the embodiment of the mana reappeared, however, the Lord of the Demonic Beasts turned to them and breathed fire at the two. Yuan and Merilius came to the front of their friend and used their defensive techniques. The flames hit their shield and licked around it. The two half-elves tried to hold their stance, but the shields soon broke and the two were hit by the fierce, demonic fire, which burnt their capes and part of their skin.

Raine casted Revitalize and Genis used Tidal Wave, forming a giant flood at the front of the giant demon. The water spell, however, was neutralized by the fire of the Demon Lord, forming a giant curtain of steam. At that time, Sheena proclaimed aloud:

"Guardian Lord of the Life, ancient hero of this world, lover of the Light... I ask thee: aid us in your battle against evil!", the necklace in Sheena's neck started to shine brightly, like a star. "I summon thee. Come, Vallor!"

The necklace shot a ray of light to the front of Apocalypse, hitting the ground and forming a great sphere of light. Sparks came from the sphere and, in a flash, Vallor appeared, wings at show and a glowing aura around him. The giant monster at his front made an angry growl, showing its sharp teeth. The illuminated spirit stretched his right arm and a sword made out of light appeared in it, but this was bigger than the one he used in the fight to test Lloyd and the others.

Grasping the hilt with his two hands, the ancient hero made signal for the gargantuan demon to come, what it made, opening its mouth to shallow Vallor. The summoned spirit simply sidestepped and hit the cheek of the Demon Lord with his massive sword. The blow connected and made sparks and points of light flew at the face of the monster. Apocalypse seemed to get temporary paralyzed by the blow, for he didn't move, giving the spirit hero the chance to land a sequence of blows on its head. At the end, the transformed Dark Lord tried to again bite his ancient enemy, but Luna's lover thrust his sword at the Lord of the Demonic Beast's mouth first, making him to halt, and sent a sphere of light through the sword's blade, it was Light Thrust.

Rays of light came from inside Apocalypse's mouth and light exploded, making the Demon Lord to roar in pain and fall, twitching in the ground like it was trying to get up, but couldn't. Sparks were running through the humongous monster's body.

"Now, attack!", Vallor shouted to the other heroes, fading from sight. They didn't wait till the ancient hero told them again and charged.

Presea and Colette attacked the monster's belly, slashing at the soft parts, but not achieving anything deeper than normal cuts. Regal and Merilius were attacking the back, cutting the spikes and the wings, which resisted against the strikes. Lloyd and the others beat the head merciless, making the gigantic beast to growl at each time the blows connected. Raine and Genis tried to cast some spells, but it didn't take effect, it seemed the resistance against magic still up even after Vallor's attacks.

After Lloyd used Beast Sword Rain on the muzzle, the Demon Lord got on his four legs and let out a ear-piercing roar, making all the fighters to jump away from him and cover their ears with the hands. Apocalypse flapped his wings against the ground, making the heroes around to be pushed some feet away by the gusts of wind. When they realized what have happened, the party saw the giant monster standing on its back legs.

The group got surprised that thing could actually stand in two legs with that size and weight, but didn't have much time to think about it. The beast moved one of its back, wolf legs and stomped it in the ground, making rocks fly in a certain radius around it.

The monster started to make his way to the group, each step caused a slight quake and made several rocks to fly, much alike in Presea's Mass Destruction technique. The Heroes of the Worlds had to run away of Apocalypse to not get caught by the attack. The Demon Lord then stopped and retracted his right, dragon arm, a light-brown magic circle quickly appeared under his feet and soon disappeared when he pointed forward.

Grave spells came from under the entire group's feet, some of them achieved to evade the attack by running, but others didn't have the same luck, like Raine and Genis. Apocalypse motioned his hand again and instantly casted another spell. Several balls of fire rained upon the group, releasing the Explosion spells when fell in the ground. Some angels in the group had to fly to avoid the next wave of spells, a Ground Dasher that this time caught everybody in the land. The demon then pointed his hand skywards. Meteors come from the cloud's blanket, aiming the angels in the air. However, the amount that was coming was the equivalent to two Meteor Storm spells.

Yuan, Zelos and Colette, couldn't avoid all the falling rocks and got hit several times, falling from the skies. Apocalypse threw his arms to the sides and started to charge spheres of sparkling energy on them, he opened his mouth and started to charge a breath of the same energy inside it. Whatever it was, the group knew it would be a powerful attack and their defensive techniques wouldn't stop. Again they tried to run when the Demon Lord shot the charged beams from his mouth and hands.

When the beams impacted with the ground explosions formed and Apocalypse ran the beams through the ground, trying to hit the heroes. Good part of the group wasn't quick enough and got hit by the explosions, which send them flying some meters away. At the end of the attack, just Yuan, Sheena and Merilius had achieved to avoid the beams, but still tired from the previous spells that hit them.

Martel had teleported to near the Mana Tree and watched the group got beat by the Demon Lord's multi-casts. If they continued like that, not even her healing spells would save them. Apocalypse again retracted his right arm, a magic circle appearing under him, indicating he was about to do an instantaneous cast again. The Spirit of the Tree decided it was time to help them.

"You won't mock at the ones who helped this world anymore.", the embodiment of the mana said, a light-brown magic circle appeared under her. "Central Roots!"

Several giant, thick roots came from the ground under Apocalypse's feet, who just looked at them with an expressionless face. The roots wrapped around the giant monster's body, immobilizing him and preventing him from cast the spell. Lloyd's group took this time to get on their feet. Raine and Martel casted Revitalize again. The Spirit of the Tree looked to the Lord of the Demonic Beasts and saw him looking back to her, a message in his piercing eyes:

_Do you think this is enough to stop me?_

An equivalent to a smirk formed in the gargantuan beast's mouth. Suddenly, the Demon Lord started to dissolve into dark smoke, which disappeared in the air, from head to bottom. Soon, the giant monster had escaped.

The heroes reunited again and looked to the sides, searching for where their monstrous adversary would materialize. Anxiousness and apprehensiveness were eating them by inside. Then Yuan saw it: black smoke appearing in thin air and forming what seemed to be the head of the demon.

"There!", the blue haired angel pointed with his weapon.

"Here too!", Genis said from his position. Everybody immediately looked to where he was pointing and saw there was another figure forming.

"There's one over here too!", Colette said, spotting more black smoke joining.

When the heroes counted, they realized they were surrounded by eight Apocalypses, each one forming near the ground, indicating he was at his four paws again. Obviously, there was just one original and the rest should be illusions, the problem was to find him before he attacked them. The figures charged at the heroes when their tails started to form, making the ground to shake with their steps.

"Maybe if I hit them with a spell...", Genis murmured, charging a water one. "Tidal Wave!"

The great flood was formed around the heroes and expanded to hit the eight, black figures, but they didn't stop when the waters covered them. When the images were finally complete, they shone and just one of them took colors, but it was too late for the heroes to make anything about that.

Lloyd and his friends tried to run from the original Apocalypse, but ran into the other images and discovered that just because they we're the real one, it didn't mean they weren't solid. Some members of the party were thrown to the air and others got caught by the sharp claws of the demon. When the black images and the real Demon Lord were about to ram into themselves, the images dissolved into black smoke, leaving just the real one running and stopping.

The heroes stood again, some bruised and with their muscles aching from the strong collisions they had suffered. The giant beast at their front was patting and running its right, front clawed paw at the ground, with what could be considered a grin in its face. Sheena and the others found it was a good thing this form of Nebilim couldn't speak, they were sure the Dark Lord would have thrown some kind of pun or comment in this situation. That sickly bastard knew how to hit their nerves.

Lloyd tried to think up on something. He knew Apocalypse should have some deadly tactics if it wanted to end with them right away. The way that thing was fighting, leaving to pass chances where it could have beaten down two or three of them, all of that just meant that humongous monster was toying with them before actually finish them and he could bet that soon the demonic beast would get tired of play. The Eternal Swordsman came up with an idea, remembering the past battles in Nebilim's Fortress.

When Shioru had been transformed in that demon, he was just defeated when they severed the limb where Doom's Blood was attached. When Kermish got his powers over Void, or rather Chaos, when he was using Doom's Blood. And Nebilim transformed that Fallen Chosen One into Dark Heart using the demonic jewel.

_That's it. Doom's Blood must be the key to Nebilim's power._, Lloyd thought.

The red clad angel had seen the jewel in the Demon Lord's collar when he stood, almost hidden by the fur. Maybe they could defeat him if they destroyed the foul crystal, but Apocalypse had the jewel exposed to the ground while he was in his four paws. The only way to get that giant monster to get up was to attack him with Vallor again.

At the time the Eternal Swordsman ended to adjust his plan on his mind, Apocalypse started to breath giant fire balls at them, making the group to disperse again. The young man shouted for Sheena to summon her ancestor again. The female ninja nodded and got more distance between her and the Demon Lord. Colette, Raine and Genis companied her. However, the humongous monster saw the moving group and slammed the ground with his paw, sending another vertical wave of energy at her.

Lloyd gridded his teeth and ran to get at the way of the blade, he had to defend Sheena until she got to summon her ancestor again. Searching for the power of the Divine Soul, the Eternal Swordsman then stopped at the way of the energy blade and slammed his sword on the ground, using Fierce Demon Fang. The technique created another vertical wave of energy on the ground, but with the energies of the Divine Soul, the red clad angel achieved to make the wave got bigger and stronger enough to last until Apocalypse's attack hit it. When that happened, the two waves of energy clashed and an explosion occurred.

Lloyd was caught at the edge of the explosion, but the damage resumed in him getting launched upwards. Recovering in midair, the young man, landed in time to feel something rushing at his side, making his hair to blow to the back with the winds. When the dual swordsman looked back, he saw it was Apocalypse, rushing to Sheena in a speed that simply didn't match to a creature of his size.

Sheena got started at that, but couldn't stop the summoning. The others were trying to catch up with the Demon Lord, but even the angels couldn't reach more than the monster's tail. Genis tried to cast Gravity Well, but the gargantuan beast passed by the spell without any modification in its speed. Raine tried to use Shinning Seal and Photon, but the spells simply bounced in the body of the giant demon and disappeared.

Colette, who was at the front of Sheena and the two half-elf siblings, tried to think in a way to help and came up with an idea. She still remember some of the knowledge Vallor and the Summon Spirits released from the Divine Souls to her and her friends. The blond angel then turned to Raine:

"Professor, cast that Reflect spell on me."

"What?", the half-elven woman asked, confused at that request.

"Please, trust me. I have an idea that can work.", the blond angel said, resolve in her tone.

Apocalypse was getting closer, looking like a predator ready to snatch its prey. Deciding to give a vote of confident to her blond, caring student, Raine casted the spell on Colette. A barrier appeared at the front of the angel for a moment and then disappeared. The Chosen floated off the ground, stopping at the level of the demonic beast. She called for her light manipulation technique, closing her eyes in deep concentration, but this time concentrated on her back, more precisely in her wings.

Colette's wings started to shine, rays of light emanating from them, forcing Raine and the others behind her to close their eyes. The spectral pink wings started to grow until they got three times their original size. The light dimmed and the blond angel opened her eyes, pronouncing:

"Angel Shield!", Colette closed her now big wings around her. The overgrown, spectral wings covered all the front of her body and created what really looked like a shield.

Minutes before collide with the angel protection at his front, the Lord of the Demonic Beasts made dark green and dark purple clouds of energy to swirl around the horns that sprouted from his cheeks, creating two cones that extended until pass the reach of the great monster's mouth. When Apocalypse finally collided with the shield at his front, the two cones of swirling energy tried to pierce through the shield, making sparkles to fly, but the great power of the defensive technique, combined with the Reflect spell casted before, shot part of the energy back to the gargantuan monster. The Demon Lord then tried to break the shield using his other horns by quickly lowering his head, but all he achieved to do was to hit hard the shield make it got pushed some meters back.

Apocalypse shook his head, like the impact had been hard even for him. Lloyd and the others tried to get the Demon Lord's attention, but it was bluntly ignoring them, since his body's protection practically nullified any of their attacks. Merilius took the time the beast was trying to recover, jumped, ran through its back and jumped again, landing near Sheena, putting his hand on her shoulder and teleporting away of the gigantic beast with her.

The Demon Lord looked around, searching for the grand summoner and ignoring the heroes trying to attack him with the Divine Souls. Sheena's voice then sounded:

"Guardian Lord of the Life, ancient hero of this world, lover of the Light... I ask thee, aid us in your battle against evil!", Apocalypse looked to his left and charged at the female ninja, but she was already calling for her ancestor. "I summon thee. Come, Vallor!"

The necklace shot the ray of light some meters away of Sheena. Vallor appeared, standing in a battle stance, just looking to the beast coming at him. Using his wings, Vallor took impulse and jumped to the giant demon, sword ready. Apocalypse tried to shallow the hero spirit, but the illuminated warrior was faster and thrust his sword between the eyes of the Demon Lord. The gargantuan beast let out a roar and lost its footing, falling and sliding some meters in the ground. At the moment, the young Child of the Light could saw an energy rushing through the demonic beast's body, lowering his defenses.

The group didn't wait for Vallor to call for them and already started to attack the giant monster with all their strength, using the knowledges in the Divine Souls that they still remember and the power they had access. This time, the strikes and blows were taking a tool on Apocalypse, as pieces of scales and blood started to fly out of the wounds that were made by the strong attacks, the heroes were decided to make the most of damage they could while the gargantuan beast couldn't defend.

Due the best had fallen on its belly, Lloyd couldn't reach Doom's Blood, so he stroke the monster with especially powerful slashes and thrusts. Using Rising Falcon, the dual swordsman stabbed the giant demon where Vallor had hit him with his sword before. The Eternal Swordsman embedded his weapon on the forehead of the Demon Lord and stabbed it with his other blade, pushing the two further in the skull of the fierce creature, until just the hilt was visible. The Lord of the Demonic Beast got on its four paws at once, roaring in pain and shaking his head, trying to get rid of the red clad angel that dared to attack him like that.

"Take this you overgrown freak!", Lloyd yelled, clutching his sacred blades tighter and concentrating on send their energy against the giant monster.

Lloyd ignored the pleads of his friends to get off of the monster and still sending charges of energy against Apocalypse, making the beast to roar in pain, almost making him to get deaf. The giant demon stood at once, looking to the boy that was standing between its eyes and bringing its dragon hands up to snatch him. The Eternal Swordsman saw that and concentrated on send one more charge of energy, before jump off the monster's face at the moment it covered the spot with its hands, growling angrily.

The red clad angel saw Doom's Blood while he fell, before being caught by two hands, which held him by his sides. Looking to his savior, Lloyd saw it was Zelos, with a look of utter concern and disbelief in his face. Between the messages in the look of the red haired Chosen, the Eternal Swordsman could catch "Sheena's going to kill you after this".

"Bud, next time you get some crazy idea like this, please, warn us with two mouths of antecedence!", Zelos scolded, making Lloyd smile instead of making him to feel guilty by the scaring his friends.

"Ok. Now bring me to near that.", Lloyd said, pointing to the cursed jewel at the Demon Lord's collar.

"Ok, now you really got crazy. That thing will tear us apart if we get too close!", the swordsman angel said, not believing Lloyd was asking such thing.

"Just trust me. That thing is what caused all of this, isn't it? So if I can destroy it, we'll beat him."

Zelos analyzed that for a moment, looking from the shinning demonic jewel to his red clad friend. He did have a point there. Deciding they didn't have anything to lose and that he had already had a good life, the angel swordsman took them closer to Apocalypse.

"What those two are doing?!", Sheena asked aloud. She had gone pale when she saw Lloyd falling and now approaching to the giant demon again. When he got back to land, she was going to give him that.

"It seems he's going to get to that cursed exphere Nebilim made.", Colette said, spotting the demonic jewel with her angelic vision.

"Then let's help them!", Yuan said, flying to the Demon Lord, Colette went after him.

Apocalypse tried to hit Lloyd and Zelos with his claws, but the red haired angel avoided the blows. The Eternal Swordsman tried to counter by slashing the hands and arms of the demon, but his attacks bounced back against the hard protections around the Demon Lord's body, which had returned. A sphere of electricity hit the face of the gargantuan monster and the creature saw Yuan preparing to throw another and Colette ready to throw a chackran.

The giant monster's eyes gleamed and he shot red rays from them at the time Colette threw her chackran. The sacred projectile was disintegrated by the powerful ray and forced Colette, Zelos and Yuan to make several turns and aerial acrobatics to avoid. Lloyd started to get sick from all those turns, fly being carried was much different than fly by himself. When the two finally reached the collar of the gargantuan beast, the red headed swordsman adjusted himself so the Eternal Swordsman could hit Doom's Blood without being restrained by his position.

Lloyd slashed at the demonic jewel with his Divine Soul twin swords. He could say, though the crystal wasn't getting any scratch on its surface, it still affecting the Demon Lord, due each time one blow connected the glow of the foul exphere got momentarily blank and the giant demon growled. After the Eternal Swordsman had hit Doom's Blood with Sonic Sword Rain, Apocalypse got tired of that and started to charge energies in his body.

The skies shot a focus of red light over the gargantuan demon. The half-elven members in the group could feel some kind of energy emanating from that light and it was being absorbed by Apocalypse. They realized what the Lord of the Demonic Beasts was planing. However, Lloyd and Zelos were too late to avoid the huge explosion that was released from the body of the mighty demon, which hit them with powerful charges of energy, electrocuting, burning and blowing the two out.

Apocalypse again dissolved into dark smoke and eight images of him surrounded the group. Martel then appeared near the group of heroes, who had reunited around Lloyd and Zelos to cure them. A white magic circle appeared under the embodiment of mana, indicating she would defend them again.

"Mana Burst!", eight giant spheres of mana started to form around the group, each at the front of one illusion. The half-elves in the group could feel mana building inside the spheres, until they started to release sparks. Then the eight spheres shot beams, hitting the illusions and burning their energies together with the mana of the shoot, which made the images to dissipate, until just the real Apocalypse was left.

The gargantuan beast charged at them, unaware its images have been destroyed. Sheena asked for Merilius to teleport her to back of the demon. The older Child of the Light understood and grabbed her hand, disappearing with her while her friends avoided the attack of the giant monster. When the grand summoner reappeared, she started to charge another summoning spell, now she was decided to keep summoning Vallor until they defeated that overgrown freak.

As the female ninja started to recite the summoning chant, Lloyd and the others were attacking Apocalypse to keep him occupied, even if that didn't work. When the ancient hero appeared again at the front of the demon, he slashed at the Demon Lord in the same way he did when he was first summoned, thrusting his sword inside the monster's mouth at the final, making its defenses to collapse once more.

Another season of fierce attacking by the heroes and the Demon Lord got really angry, grabbing Presea and Regal when he got up, throwing the two at the ground and breathing fire. The two fighters achieved to put up a defense using the Divine Souls to not get too much burned, but after that the giant demon batted them away with its tail and used another multi-cast spells at the rest of the party members.

Sheena was already summoning again when the Lord of the Demonic Beasts released his Tri Beam attack. The female ninja started to feel her mana getting dangerously low, but she wouldn't stop until that fierce monster was defeated. Raine noticed that from her position, curing the fighters that got hit by the powerful explosions, and shouted for the grand summoner to stop.

"I...", Sheena was already speaking with difficulty, tiredness was starting to get on her. "won't stop... until that thing... is defeated! Come, Vallor!"

The necklace shot the ray of light in a point above the gargantuan beast's head, making it to look up. The spirit hero appeared again, blade at hand, and slashed at the giant demon's eyes before it could react. Apocalypse brought his hands to its bleeding orbs, roaring in pain, while Vallor took the time to slash at the neck and collar of the now enraged demon, taking out fur and flesh. To end, the ancient hero stabbed the scaled chest of the humongous creature and descended cutting through the body, leaving deep a cut in his way.

The hero of the Forgotten Ages disappeared when he touched the ground, leaving Apocalypse to slash idly at the space with his claws and tail, eyes still dripping blood, which indicated the demon probably couldn't regenerate them after that attack. The Summon Spirits reappeared at the moment the demon started to breath fire and chaos blasts, trying to hit something in its blind rage.

Sheena was about to summon again when Luna stopped her, by putting a hand on her shoulder. The other heroes that were near her looked to the guardian entities, as Origin spoke:

"You did enough. Now its our time.", drawing his spears and sword, the supreme entity charged at the demon with the other spirits at his back, leaving behind Luna to explain to the mortal heroes who weren't trying to attack the giant demon the change in the situation.

"With all the wounds made by Vallor and your Divine Souls, Apocalypse's defenses crumbled, leaving great holes in it. His elemental immunity is broken and now we can take him down."

Sheena and the others sighed in relief, knelling to the ground, they were both physically and mentally tired from all that fighting. The other members of the party stopped once they saw the Summon Spirits attacking Apocalypse and went back to their other companions.

The Sylph attacked the wounds that were opened by Vallor with rains of arrows and sword blows. Efreet was burning and ripping part of the wings of the giant monster with his powerful hands. Celsius was stabbing and launching several ice lances on the back of the humongous beast, helped by Undine, who made two Spread spells form at the feet of the Demon Lord, which were frozen by her icy counterpart to bind the mighty creature at its place. Origin was attacking the belly with his lances and swords, opening larges gashes and sometimes using a version of Sword Rain with all his lances that made Lloyd's technique seem slow and weak.

Maxwell decided to teach the gargantuan demon a lesson about stealing his trademark magic and made several meteors rain at it, the impacts were so strong that some meteors broke at the contact to the hard demon's scales. Aska was shooting feathers at the head of the Lord of the Demonic Beasts, aiming his still bleeding orbs. Shadow was helping Gnome to attack, by using his body to throw the heavy spirit at the gigantic monster.

Then, all the spirits attacked at the same time, using blasts of their mana that took spiral forms and produced a drill effect on the monster's own energies. The "drills" exploded, burning any chaos energy they had contact to. Apocalypse let out another long, powerful, earth-shaking, ear-piercing roar and fell, breaking the pillars of ice that bound him and making the entire land shake at the impact. If the heroes weren't already knelled, they would have fell from the quake. Smoke rose when the gargantuan creature met the ground and after it lowered, they could see Apocalypse, immobile and not giving signals of being able to get up.

Origin and the other spirits went to the heroes and helped Martel and Luna to cure and refresh their energy. Lloyd and Sheena, the first to be cured due the condition of their mana, looked to the fallen monster. The female ninja then asked:

"Do you think it's dead?"

"No. I can see he's breathing.", Lloyd answered, whispering so just his lover could hear.

"We should finish this thing once for all before it recovers.", the young woman said, with a tone of decision.

"Yeah. I don't want to pass by all of that again."

The two then went to the lying monster. Vallor was with Luna and the other spirits, so Merilius was the only one to notice the two going to the fallen beast. He noticed that Apocalypse had fallen with his side, leaving Doom's Blood exposed, that was very strange in the half-elf's opinion. Even being defeated, the last thing Nebilim would do was to let his adversaries finish him, so why he let the source of his power exposed?

_]Just if he wants for them to try it!_, the older Child of the Light realized with fear.

Merilius started to run to his cousin and her lover, attracting the other's attention. Lloyd was already drawing his sword, ready to thrust it at the foul exphere. The dark-blue haired half-elf shouted to them, but the Eternal Swordsman's hand was already moving to pierce the demonic jewel:

"No! It's a trap!"

Before Lloyd's ears could catch the voice of his friend, he had already stabbed Doom's Blood, breaking the crystal. Immediately after that, energy started to reunite in Apocalypse's body again, which shone white. Lloyd and Sheena barely had time to protect themselves from the explosion of energies that blew them out. Merilius was also caught and went to the ground. The other members of the party and spirits couldn't approach due the strong winds that formed, the energy maintaining them away and the light blinding them.

When the light faded and they could look again, they gasped. The same dark clouds that covered Nebilim's Throne Room during their battle with Dark Heart appeared, creating a circular arena which separated them from Lloyd, Sheena and Merilius. A giant magic circle appeared in the ground of the newly made arena and, as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. The Summon Spirits and Vallor could catch a good glimpse of the runes inscribed in the circle and knew what they meant: Nebilim had isolated the area to any outside mana that might try to enter.

Lloyd and his friends also saw all of that and got extremely startled. A chuckle from where Apocalypse's body was attracted their attention. When they saw a humanoid figure coming, instead of the body of the giant monster, they immediately drew their weapons.

"It seems I underestimated your... resources. But now I finally discovered what makes you so strong...", the figure said. By the tone and the venom in the voice, they could guess it should be Nebilim. "Your union and coordination like a fighting team is impressive... however, like I said before, it's all, but useless."

The one at the front of the group wasn't that burning wraith they saw before or the giant Demon Lord they had been just fighting, it was an elf with red-blood hair and eyes, clad in a complete set of silver-dull armor, with runes by all over it, which shone like it had just been made. The elf wore in his left hand a clawed gauntlet, a normal one in his right hand and steel boots. What called the attention the most, however, was the elf's face.

To convince a King to thrust you at first sight, one needed two things: be polite and look good. Nebilim could easily deceive anyone, the group had seen that by themselves, but they never once thought the elf could be good-looking. Nebilim's face was the one of a man in its twenties and could be considered handsome for the elven standards. But his smile and his eyes gave away his true self. His smile was a mix of pure arrogance and confidence, but it gave away a slight feeling of bloodthirsty and psychopathy. The eyes had vertical pupils, probably an side-effect of so many spells he had used on himself to gain power, and shone with what seemed to be lust.

"What? Did you never saw a true elf before? Oh sorry, you really never did.", Nebilim said, grinning at their expressions. "This is my true form and body. The one I had and that was destroyed by Vallor when I was sealed.", the Dark Lord shot a look full of venom towards the spirit hero. "But now I have finally absorbed enough power to recover my former body. It doesn't matter if you destroyed Doom's Blood, for I have all my old powers back and some more. Not even the Summon Spirits could take on me when I was with my full powers, so what makes you think you can?"

"Simple, because you're an spoiled idiot that can't accept you're wrong without throw a tantrum and thinks that killing is the answer to everything.", Sheena said, drawing an "excuse me?" from the twisted elf. "It's what you heard. Do you think just because you separated us from our friends you have any advantage?"

"She's right. It doesn't matter if they're not at our side right now, they are always with us in our hearts. The same goes to the spirits, which are also our friends in a way. They will always be fighting with us, even if we are in another world.", Merilius said, drawing an smile from everybody. Deciding his friends had said everything he would have talked, Lloyd just stayed in a battle stance and got ready to attack the Dark Lord.

"Well... if it's that so...", Nebilim said slowly. The red lights in skies started to fade as the ancient evil one talked, being replaced by flashes of thunders. "Then I just have to....", the chaos user stretched his right hand, making a ball of energy appear on his palm. He closed his hand and the ball started to form a razor-sharp blade on his hand, which he twirled. "Rip your hearts off your chests..."

* * *

Man, that monster was difficult to describe. What did you find about him? Don't worry with the case you didn't understand the story of the war between the spirits and the demons, it's not that important for this story, it was just to explain how the spirit of the Demon Lord ended up in Nebilim and how our dear Dark Lord got all his uncommon powers.

Review, or the angry Apocalypse will eat you!


	61. The Grand Dark Lord Nebilim

The second round begins and with it we see why even the Summon Spirits got afraid of Nebilim's death hunger!

Two more chapters to the end people. Hold tight on your chairs!

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Chapter 61**

**The Grand Dark Lord Nebilim**

Thunders cracked in the skies, announcing a storm, which fell almost right after the flashes appear. Heavy drops of rain hit the land in an almost heavy way, but in one place they seemed milder than in the rest of the world.

The wind was blowing, or maybe it was an effect of the dark clouds that formed the area where they were now. The three heroes looked at their adversary, the Grand Dark Lord and founder of Ara'Tharu, Nebilim. The thick, long strands of his red-blood air moved like snakes in the midst of the winds and, surprisingly, were unaffected by the rain. The fighters were waiting for one make the first move.

The Dark Lord moved his sword to his face and put two fingers on the hilt. Merilius and Sheena felt a quick gathering of mana around the ancient elf, but it had been so fast that they could have missed if they weren't so concentrated.

"Dark Reflection.", Nebilim whispered. In a burst of darkness mana, the Dark Lord disappeared, reappearing instantaneously behind Merilius, who hadn't time to move before his family's arch enemy slash at his back, dark energies glowing on his blade.

Merilius knelled from the painful blow, attracting Sheena and Lloyd's attention. Everything had occurred in just a fraction of seconds and none of them had even time to blink before Nebilim teleported to his second target. He slashed at Sheena's back and teleported again to Lloyd's back, stabbing the young man. Fortunately, Lloyd had wore his best armor for that battle, so the blow just pushed him to the ground, but the energies still hit his mana, nonetheless.

Nebilim reappeared at the front of his adversaries, at the same distance he was before. Genis and the others outside the barrier couldn't do anything, but held their mouths agape. They didn't even have time to register what had happened before the powerful, demonic elf attacked all of their friends. The angels of the group tried to fly over the barrier of dark clouds, but it stretched up each time they tried to do so.

Vallor tried to return to his collar, but the clouds maintained even him away, Nebilim should have caught the signature of his spiritual energy when he had slashed at him in his Demon Lord form. Now he couldn't go to his descendants and the Eternal Swordsman to help them in such important fight. He still remembered of his fight against the Dark Lord. It had took to him a great amount of time and all of his mana to battle that twisted, evil creature and even so he just won when Luna helped him to transform into his Soul Beast form.

Nebilim then held his sword on the horizontal at his front with his open palm near the tip of the blade, a dark magic circle appeared beneath him. The Dark Lord started to chant the words of power at the time Lloyd, Sheena and Merilius got on their foot:

"Forces of darkness, I command you, cast your powers over the ones that defy me and show to them the true meaning of power. Dark Judgment!", the dark beams fell, releasing explosions when hit the land. Lloyd and his two companions had to put up their defensive techniques and use some amount of the knowledge they still have from the Divine Souls. However, the shields soon faded, leaving them open to get hit by some beams which fell on them.

The three fighters still stand even after the powerful magic attack, they were decided to win Nebilim and wouldn't leave him get the chance to end with them while they were on the ground. From outside the barrier of clouds, the other heroes, plus Celsius and Sylph, were cheering the ones fighting against the Dark Lord. Lloyd, Sheena and Merilius then charged at Nebilim, who didn't even move when they come to him.

As two swords descended to cleave the Dark Lord and a seal card moved to attach itself on his body, two blurs came in the front of the heroes. Result: sound of metal against metal was heard. When they realized what have happened, Nebilim was there, holding the three swords with his own and holding Sheena's hand with his left one, which used the clawed gauntlet. In a quick movement, the cruel overlord kicked his three adversaries, first Merilius, who hit Lloyd while the founder of Ara'Tharu still pushing him with his foot and then Sheena. The three were launched to the wet ground, rising mud when they connected.

Again teleporting, Nebilim appeared between Lloyd and Sheena, holding the two by their hair with a strong grip and lifting them. Before slam their faces into one another, the Dark Lord snickered:

"Now you may kiss the bride.", the impact was so painful that Sheena and Lloyd went unconscious, seeing stars.

Nebilim threw the two aside and turned to Merilius, who was gridding his teeth at seeing his family's enemy attack his cousin that way. The Dark Lord readied his sword and beckoned the Child of the Light to come to him, always wearing a disturbing grin. The dark-blue haired half-elf charged and started to attack the ancient evil one with his quickest attacks, but the chaos user answered in equal speed without even blink.

The two fighters' hands seemed blurs to normal eyes, until the two swords locked each other. Merilius was gridding his teeth, but Nebilim was still smiling, like he found some kind of twisted pleasure in fighting and making his adversaries to suffer. The Dark Lord then hooked the Child of Light's Runeblade in one of the tiny spikes that came from the edge of his blade, forcing it upward. The founder of Ara'Tharu then kicked the descendant of his ancient enemy in the stomach, making him to stager backwards, and quickly charged a dark ray in his hand, shooting it at the light warrior. The ray "slided" through Merilius' body, separating in several tiny rays, draining part of the magic swordsman's energy and launching him backwards.

"Is that what you have to show to me?", Nebilim asked, looking then to Vallor, who still outside the battle field. "It seems your bloodline has turned weak with the passage of the time, Vallor. I expected more of one of your descendants."

Merilius gridded his teeth as he stood, Nebilim was trying to mock at him to make him to lose his temper in that fight... and the worse thing was that he was good in it. Right after stood, the Child of the Light shot a light ray at the twisted elf, who easily sidestepped the attack, and charged a magic spell, casting Shinning Seal soon enough and running to the Dark Lord.

Nebilim still grinning as he broke the magic shackles on him with a simple rush of his mana and the chaos energy he had in his body and charged a counter spell, casting Dark Sphere. Merilius defended using Divine Shield, but as the darkness mana hit his shield and faded, the arch enemy of his ancestor appeared in his front and punched him in the stomach, kicked him in the chin with a mortal jump at the same place and shot another dark ray at his chest, pushing him at great distance.

Lloyd and Sheena woke and saw the Grand Dark Lord beating Merilius without even sweat. The two lovers then charged again while the power-hungry elf still with his back to them. When the two Divine Weapons were about to reach Nebilim's silver-dull armor, he spun around and defended using his sword. The Eternal Swordsman and the grand summoner got startled at that, but began to attack with their best synchronism and techniques, making sparks to rain at the ground.

Nebilim defended all the attacks throw at him with such precision and grace that just an elf would be capable, yet he achieved to be fast at the same time. When Lloyd tried to hit him with Super Sonic Thrust, the twisted elf teleported away and charged another magic. Merilius tried to go to him, but the Dark Lord was a master in magic, what made his casting faster compared even to Genis.

A dark-green circle appeared under Nebilim's feet. Vallor and the spirits knew that meant the ruthless man was going to cast a Chaos spell and these spell were the strongest that the Dark Lord possessed in his repertoire. Some were even capable of eliminate an entire army in a matter of seconds. The ancient hero tried to warn his descendants and the Eternal Swordsman, but Nebilim was already chanting:

"Ancient Chaos, beginning of all, lend to your child the power to return thy former glory and cast thy wrath upon those who disrespect thee. Make your cosmic energy rain upon this world and show to them the true owner of Creation! Chaos Meteor!", Maxwell and the spirits gasped when they heard the chant. That was Nebilim's most powerful chaos spell, one that just the Demon Lords were able to cast, due its high destructive power. And also, one that were (in secrecy) the inspiration for Maxwell's one.

Green, flaming orbs came out of the clouds at the direction of the three heroes fighting against Nebilim. At first sight, they thought it were meteors, but when they felt its energies, they saw it was far more potent than that. When the highly charged meteors hit the ground, the energies inside them released powerful explosions, which covered great radius, not even Merilius' teleport technique saved him from the tens of flaming, chaos rocks that fell on the earth.

The three were launched back and forth by the explosions, getting part of their clothing charred and theirs armors started to crack, to not talk about when they were hit in the air by the great rocks, which could have broken some of their bones by the sheer force of the impact. At the final, they were on the ground, struggling to get up. Strangely, they seemed well physically, but their mana was a total mess with the energies that attacked them.

Lloyd's other friends saw that and got confused. An attack like that should have killed them by now, or at least got them crippled, but, save by their mana, they seemed well. The Summon Spirits and Vallor sighed in relief once they saw the three fighters had survived the attack, they probably knew something about that.

Nebilim also found that a rather strange, but decided to ignore, they couldn't resist to his attacks forever, could them? The Dark Lord prepared to again attack, putting his blade at the front of his face, in the horizontal. When the two cousins and the young man stood, their demonic adversary pronounced:

"Dark Reflection!", one more time, they tried to defend, just to discover the pain caused by the last attack restrained their movements, so their reaction was almost like the same when Nebilim first used that technique. Sheena tried to help her two friends, but the Dark Lord appeared at her front and stabbed her in the chest with his weapon. The female ninja was pushed to the ground, but the blow hadn't cut her skin, just left a slight cut on her kimono.

_Something is up here..._, Nebilim thought. _Oh well, even if their bodies can resist my attacks, their mana can't defend from my blows. Either way, they will be dead soon enough._

The Dark Lord then turned to Lloyd and ran to him. The young man, knowing what was about to happen, brought his swords up and tried to defend from the quick series of slashes that came. Nebilim was hitting him in such speed that it seemed he had another arm holding one more sword.

"Blade Stream!", the evil elf pronounced, achieving to break Lloyd's defense and slashing at him with quick movements. The Dark Lord then stopped and passed his blade in the ground, scarring it and throwing rocks at Lloyd, who still stunned from the previous attack. "Earth Rage!", Nebilim used the same technique that Vallor and Merilius used and blew the dual swordsman out.

"What the...?! He's using your technique.", Genis spoke to Vallor, observing Lloyd recover in midair and land on his feet.

"I already knew that, but what do you expected? He stole Maxwell's technology, valuable and cursed elven artifacts and even the Summon Spirit's mana.", the ancient hero said, reminding them of everything Nebilim had took from others in his life. Zelos grumbled something about people stealing the others' style.

Nebilim then looked to his adversary and saw just his clothes were some dirty and with cuts from his attacks, the armor beneath didn't seem much affected. However, he could feel Lloyd's mana some agitated due his attacks, but it was reorganizing now. Something was protecting the boy and the other two descendants of his ancient student.

"Interesting...", Nebilim said, elevating his tone so he could be heard by the others outside the circle through the sounds of thunder and the winds that blew in the plain. "It seems something is protecting you. Well, this just means I'll have to attack stronger from now on. Though my intention was to end this fight quickly, I can still enjoy it."

The other heroes that weren't fighting looked to the Summon Spirits, asking for them to explain that. Origin then spoke:

"The Divine Souls aren't just weapons that the wielder can use to destroy evil ones, they also protect their masters from harm and diseases while fighting. When we released the knowledge inside the weapons for you, we also released their protective proprieties. As long as you maintain the crystals with you, they shall protect you, physically."

"By physically you mean that they don't protect us against some kinds of attacks.", Presea said. It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"'Yes.'", Volt said, having Raine to translate his lines. "'Invincibility is far from being deserved by any living being, even heroes. The Divine Souls can't stop spiritual or magic energies, so one can attack the mana of their wielder if they know how. I assume you all know how painful a blow on your mana be can.'"

The group shivered at the memory of the blows with dark energies that Kermish liked to use on them. Those blows weren't exactly painful analyzing the physical damage, but they did a great mess with their mana. To make matters worse, Nebilim was one that could easily use those energies to attack.

Merilius tried to use Judgment, but Nebilim teleported to him and hit the Child of the Light with the hilt of his sword in the face before he could complete the spell. Sheena was at some distance, watching while Lloyd dove at Nebilim, using Rising Falcon, just to be sidestepped by the Dark Lord and have three slashes at his sides. The female ninja catch the explanation about the Divine Soul's defensive proprieties, since she was near the edge of the dark clouds that isolated them. She again thanked for them to be able to use those sacred weapons.

However, the female ninja knew Nebilim didn't need to do any physical damage to win them. The sheer fact of be able to attack their mana directly, turned him more dangerous then the strongest of the swordsmen. She then tried to observe and find a weakness in the Dark Lord, anything that could help them.

Nebilim grabbed Lloyd by his hair, making his sword to disappear, and punched him hard in the stomach. The protection of the Divine Souls absorbed the physical damage, but the ancient evil one continued to punch the Eternal Swordsman in the face and ended by kicking him. The dual swordsman's armor got dented by the sequence of strong blows and shattered. Merilius came and tried to attack Nebilim with Light Thrust, Earth Rage and Light Spear, but the Dark Lord defended and avoided each one of the attacks, having called his blade to his hand again.

More blows of sword came and went, that battle had turned into a dance of blades and dodges. Locking again his sword against Merilius' Runeblade, Nebilim grabbed the sword's blade with his claw-gloved hand and lowered it, giving a head butt in the Child of the Light's forehead. The light warrior's vision got blurred by the strength of the blow and gave Nebilim the opening he needed.

"Sonic Sword Rain!", Lloyd could just observe as the founder of Ara'Tharu performed his technique. Nebilim was so fast that he didn't need two blades to do the rain of thrusts that the technique unleashed. Merilius' armor was pierced and the light warrior pushed back to the ground by the final thrust. "C'mon. You didn't even touch me yet. Is this all you heroes can do?"

Lloyd one more time attacked Nebilim's back, just to be blocked by a quick spun and the Dark Lord's blade. Seeing the Eternal Swordsman trying to hit the twisted elf, Sheena came up with a strategy. Nebilim could block most of the strong attacks using his sword, but if he couldn't, he would be an easy target. With that in mind, the female ninja concentrated on reunite earth mana.

Like sensing what she was planning, the crystals attached to Sheena's hands glowed and divided again, the other two halves floated and attached to the sides of her boots, spreading their energy equally in the four limbs. The female ninja could feel the Divine Soul enchanting her own technique, making the mana she called for even more powerful, now she could give Nebilim a good taste of what happened to someone that hurt her friends.

Nebilim grabbed Lloyd by his throat and charged energies in his body, releasing them in the form of an explosion. The Eternal Swordsman was hit by the charges, which burnt and electrocuted him, but the Dark Lord didn't let him go, making the young man to take the powerful attack at its full potential. The young man's armor got definitely destroyed. The twisted elf then rose his sword, ready to deliver what seemed to be the final blow, with the dual swordsman still in his grip.

Before the Grand Dark Lord could thrust his sword at the red clad angel's head, he heard something approaching to him by behind. When Nebilim turned his head, he saw several smoke bombs exploding, releasing its content. The time which he got distracted was enough for someone to grab the wrist of the hand he was using to held Lloyd and clutch it with incredible strength. The ancient elf didn't have choice, but let the Eternal Swordsman go. The hand that grabbed his own, pressed the nerves in his hands in a way it automatically opened.

Looking better to his side, the founder of Ara'Tharu saw Sheena, her knuckle moving to make contact to his face. Time seemed to slow as Nebilim raised his sword to defend without even think, it was his survival instinct clicking in, something even him couldn't control in that moment. The female ninja noticed that and quickly retracted her hand and brought her leg up, kicking the Dark Lord's sword with a roundhouse kick before he could realize what was her intent.

The razor-sharp, spiked blade flew from Nebilim's hand and the Dark Lord couldn't do anything, but watch while Vallor's younger descendant punched him in the stomach and hit him in the chin with a upward kick. Before the ruthless, demonic fighter could recover, Sheena grabbed his hand and hurled him above her head, throwing him in the ground, leaving a slight impression of the madded elf's body. She threw him upwards and again bashed him to the ground, leaving his hand go and grabbing him by the hair.

Nebilim tried to counter while he was being punched and hurled like a rag doll, but the speed which Sheena was using to beat him and the blows she did previously had made the energies of her Divine Soul course through his body, temporary immobilizing him for sufficient time for her to deliver the next strong blows on him.

Sheena started to punch the elf's face again, using all her strength and speed to hit him with the lesser pause between the blows. She then brought her hand back charging a great amount of mana into it. She was sure it would be enough to throw even Nebilim away.

"Now take this you damned demon!", the grand summoner said, punching hard the Dark Lord's face. A shock wave formed from the strong impact as Nebilim grumbled in pain. Time seemed to slow again as the body of the ancient elf slowly let the ground and started to fly backwards. Then time recovered its normal speed and the demonic elf flew some meters away, sliding in the ground, but recovering with a twist of his body, getting into a knelling position.

The group at the other side of the shroud of dark clouds went mute at seeing Sheena just hit Nebilim like that when it seemed they were losing. The Dark Lord then held his chin and moved his jaw a little, closing his eyes after that and letting out a laugh, which just strengthened the heroes' impression that the ancient elf had some screws loosing. When Lloyd asked what so funny, the Grand Dark Lord stopped his laughing and caught his breath before answer:

"I see now where Vallor's family has gone wrong. It was all those rituals of blessing and training let them all careless. But you, Sheena... you had to live by your own after the blessing broke my curse and you were left alone. You are indeed a descendant of Vallor. You should learn with her, Merilius.", the Dark Lord then shot a look to the older Child of the Light.

Sheena and Lloyd looked to the magic swordsman to see what he would reply to that taunt. The dark-blue haired half-elf just smiled and then answered, his Runeblade still in his hand:

"I am learning with her Nebilim, with all of her friends. In fact, I could say that after I encountered her I started to remember what really meant to be a Child of the Light. I'll learn with her friends and someday I'll be as good as my dear cousin... but you won't be there to see that."

"Hu... great words... but nothing more than words...", Nebilim replied, disappearing again and reappearing behind Sheena, who soon realized what attack was that and rolled forward, avoiding the blow.

The Dark Lord teleported again, but this time Lloyd and Merilius already got the trick and spun to their back at the moment Nebilim appeared. The twisted elf, however, didn't stay enough for them to counter, teleporting away and charging another spell. The red-blood haired overlord unleashed three Shadow Lances at once against his three opponents.

Sheena and Merilius avoided with ease, but Lloyd had some difficulty. When the young man dodged the last darkness lance he felt something materializing at his back and, before he could defend, came a call of:

"Shadow Blow!", Nebilim slashed at Lloyd's back, pushing the red clad angel away as the wound exploded with darkness mana, burning some of Lloyd's own. Sheena and Merilius were already coming to their friend's aid when the Dark Lord suddenly teleported to their front and started to charge energy in his blade, which glowed red. The sudden appearance startled the two Children of the Light for enough time to the armor clad elf to unleash his attack. "Blood Spin!"

The female ninja and the magic swordsman were blown out again. Merilius' armor was now totally destroyed, so, when he stood, he removed it and moved his shoulders and neck to check if all was right. Blood was dripping from a cut in his lips and he had several cuts and gashes by all his body. Though his Runeblade was based on the sacred Divine Souls, it didn't have the same defensive proprieties that the original weapons.

Nebilim proceed to Lloyd, who was standing again, when Merilius launched a Demonic Sphere at the back of the Dark Lord. Sighing and without even turn, the red-blood haired overlord created a barrier at his back, which absorbed the attack like it was nothing. However, he didn't notice the light warrior running together with the wind sphere and received a series of slashes at his back when the barrier dissipated.

Merilius took the opportunity in which he got Nebilim off guard and used Light Spear, Earth Rage and Dual Spin. This time, the legendary enemy of Ishtar family was the one to be blow out, but he recovered while sliding in the ground. The almost acrobatic way he recovered remembered some of Sheena's.

The three heroes then gathered again and stayed in fight stances while the Dark Lord just looked to them with that same psychotic grin of pleasure. Though they just achieved to attack Nebilim few times, they could see that the Divine Souls had great effect on the demonic elf's powers. It was like the sacred weapons were using the bloodthirsty man's own energy to attack him.

"Well, well, this fight is going better than I predicted, but say, how do you just think of defeat me when I had burnt away good part of your mana and you just landed few blows on me?", Nebilim said, thrusting his sword in the ground and bending against it with his arms crossed over the hilt.

The three fighters knew what Nebilim meant, they were already panting due the loss of mana they suffered from Nebilim's attack and all the energy they used in that fight just to defend the Dark Lord's strikes, which always carried an abnormal strength. If they didn't find a way to defeat him soon, they would lose that battle just by getting tired.

From the other side of the "fence" around the battle field, Origin and the Summon Spirits wore serious expressions when Nebilim talked that. They also recognized the Dark Lord was right. The twisted elf had the upper hand in that combat and unless they thought on something, Lloyd, Sheena and Merilius would be killed.

_They need more power to match with Nebilim's own._, the King of the Summon Spirits thought._ Maybe, if one of them could use a complete Divine Soul..._

The supreme spirit looked from the ones in the battle field, who had to start attacking again as Nebilim also charged, to the heroes at his side. He then realized. There was one of them that have enough will and determination to hold a complete Divine Soul. If he could materialize the Eternal Sword too, it would help greatly. The blade that transcend time and space didn't have any specific propriety against evil ones, but it could use the energy of the space and time around to simulate a counter energy to Nebilim's power.

Maxwell then looked to his ruler and saw the look on Origin's face. From so many eons of knowing the powerful entity, he knew that the Source of heavens and earth had a plan. Asking what his king was thinking on, the ancient ruler of elements received the answer, which was also directed to the other heroes:

"You all, concentrate on sent your Divine Souls to Lloyd.", the supreme spirit then turned to the Eternal Swordsman, as he defended another blow of Nebilim's sword, which was meant to Sheena, who was on the ground after receive a Sword Rain technique from the demonic elf. "Lloyd, can you hear me?"

Lloyd blinked, but then pushed Nebilim away with all his strength. The elf jumped back before the dual swordsman could slash at him and threw a dark ray at him. The red clad angel avoided the attack and Merilius took his place in attacking the Dark Lord. Finally having some time, the Eternal Swordsman asked what Origin wanted.

"I need you to concentrate on receiving the Divine Souls from your friends. I have a plan. You'll wield both a complete Divine Soul and the Eternal Sword. My connection with the sword allows me to sent some of my power to maintain in its complete form, even if Nebilim casted this seal upon the battlefield."

Lloyd thought for a moment, in awe. He didn't have any idea about how much power a complete Divine Soul would have, but he was sure that if he used it in conjunct with the Eternal Sword it would make a combo that even Nebilim wouldn't be able to stand. Agreeing with that, the dual swordsman turned to Sheena and explained to his girlfriend the plan. After had eaten a Miracle Gel to recover her energy, the female ninja nodded and started to concentrate on sent her sacred weapon to her love.

From his position, Nebilim saw Sheena standing and she and Lloyd holding their hands. It was very strange for them to do this in the middle of a fight. Quickly looking to the outsides of the ring of dark clouds, the cruel overlord saw Lloyd's friends closing their eyes in what seemed concentration. When he looked back to the two lovers, they also seemed to be in concentration. It seemed they stopped to pay attention to the fight.

_They must have a plan._, the Dark Lord thought.

Deciding to don't let they get any kind of advantage over him, Nebilim teleported away, making Merilius to almost lose his equilibrium, he was forcing the twisted elf's sword when he teleported. The Dark Lord reappeared some meter away, charging another darkness spell. The Child of the Light looked to Lloyd and Sheena, who seemed to be concentrating on another thing than the fight.

When the light warrior heard the chant of Dark Judgment, he gasped. The Eternal Swordsman and his cousin wouldn't notice that in time to avoid. Deciding to do something to protect the two lovers, Merilius teleported in the moment Nebilim pronounced the name of the spell, appeared in the air, above Sheena and Lloyd, and used his defensive technique, taking all the beams that were meant for the two.

The shield of the older Child of the Light broke and he was bombarded by left dark beams, which send him to the ground, some feet away of his two friends. The Divine Souls of the members of the party outside the battle field entered in resonance with Lloyd's one and started to glow and detach themselves from them. The crystals then entered in the arena, passing through the shroud of dark clouds without suffer any kind of damage. However, when Lloyd's own Divine Soul floated away of him, something teleported to near the young man, grabbed him by the throat and teleported away again, to the middle of the field.

Sheena just realized what have happened when her crystals detached themselves from her hands and feet, uniting again. She noticed Lloyd wasn't there and when saw him with Nebilim, without any weapon at his hand, her heart started to beat in incredible speed.

Lloyd was trying to get free from Nebilim's grip. He was so concentrated on calling for the weapons of his friends, like Origin had told him to do, that he had forgot that he still battling with Nebilim and that the Dark Lord was a very cunning adversary. He also had to guard his own Divine Soul to unite the crystals that composed his two twin swords again.

The founder of Ara'Tharu looked to the attempts of his prey to get away. He saw Lloyd's Divine Soul left him and calculated to catch the young man before he could get the weapons back. Now the Eternal Swordsman didn't have that annoying protection of the Divine Souls, so he was as good as dead.

"Did you think I would just leave you have some free time to call something to defeat me? How...", Nebilim stabbed Lloyd in the stomach with his sword. The boy let out a chocked sound as the tip of the blade came out of his back. "Pathetic."

Time again seemed to slow, but this time, it was fueled by the horror in the faces of the heroes. Blood slowly came to Nebilim's sword tip and started to drop. The elf grinned like this was the best moment of his entire life. He then took his sword out of Lloyd's body and let it fall to the wet ground. The blood of the Eternal Swordsman started to mix with the water of the puddle he fell in.

Time then seemed to start to flow normally as Sheena yelled Lloyd's name, leaving her place and the crystals of the Divine Souls, which reunited and formed a circle, shinning, spinning and getting closer to each other. Nebilim looked to the female ninja with a look of hunger in his eyes, hunger for more blood. Merilius noticed that and ran to catch up with his cousin in the moment the enemy of their family teleported.

Sheena's eyes were focused on Lloyd's bleeding form. She could save him, she had to save him. If she could just reach him and give to him a Life Bottle, maybe that would heal his wound. She just stopped when a dark flash appeared in her front. Nebilim held his sword with his two hands, the blade was glowing with dark-purple energies. He was ready to strike at her with Shadow Blow and she didn't have the Divine Souls to protect her this time.

Before the grand summoner's mind's commands could reach her limbs, someone pushed her aside, taking the blow meant for her. When she registered what had just happened, she saw Merilius being slashed by Nebilim and the wound exploding with darkness mana. The dark-blue haired half-elf fell to the ground and didn't get up, he got knocked out.

From outside the ring of dark clouds, Colette, Zelos and Genis were being restrained by their friends. They were ready to jump in the shroud of dark clouds, not caring what would happen to them, but they couldn't let that continue. Lloyd had already been slain by that damned elf and now Sheena was the target. They didn't believe that the Eternal Swordsman, the one that represented everything they believed in, the one that saved their lives countless times and was always ready to reach a friendly hand for them had been killed by Nebilim.

"Let me go... I have to... help him!", Colette said, trying to fight against Yuan, who was the only one that could actually held her back.

"You know that you won't even reach him if you try to pass by these dark clouds. You have to calm yourself down.", the former Seraphim said. He was also in deep pain, but he wouldn't let anybody more got killed because of that cursed, mad spirit.

"Then what?! We're going to stay here and watch he kills Sheena too?!", Zelos asked, desperation and indignation in his voice.

"He's not dead.", a deep, serene voice said. The heroes stopped and looked to Undine, who had spoken that.

The three friends that tried to get into the battlefield looked to her with utter confusion in their eyes. Before they could ask what she meant by that, Shadow spoke:

"Just watch... have faith... Origin's plan...", the darkness entity spoke, turning to the fight.

The group turned and saw something that made their jaws drop. The crystals of the Divine Souls joined into a single, big one, the size of a knuckle, and shot to where Lloyd's body was ling. The crystal started to bath the Eternal Swordsman with light and tiny, white points started to flow from the crystal to the dual swordsman's wound.

Meanwhile, Sheena was trying to survive Nebilim's attacks, using her family dagger. She had her teeth gridded in anger and hate. If she couldn't save him, at least she would avenge him by killing that damned man. The Dark Lord was just grinning at her expression.

"What's the problem? Don't you want to show me how angry you are by me having killed your boyfriend? So what are you waiting for?", Nebilim taunted, in a venous tone, which pierced hard in the female ninja's heart.

"Shut...", Sheena charged her hands with all the lightning mana she could reunite and held Nebilim's right hand. "UP!!!", the grand summoner unleashed a powerful current on the Dark Lord's body, but to her surprise, Nebilim simply absorbed the electricity flowing to his body and charged more energy. Before she could react, the ruthless magician unleashed another powerful explosion, throwing her away.

Lloyd's body was lifted from the ground and stayed floating limp. Two lights then came out of his scabbards, one red and another blue; the Material Blades. The complete Divine Soul went to near the Eternal Swordsman's left hand and there started to form a new blade with an ornamented hilt. This sword was at least the size of the Eternal Sword, but still made entirely by what seemed pure light and had runes by all over it. The two lights of the Material Blades went to near Lloyd's right hand and merged together, making the Eternal Sword appear. Both the blades were held by the red clad angel, whose wings appeared again, totally healed.

Sheena tried to get up, but the ancient enemy of her family appeared upon her in almost a blink of eyes and punched her in the stomach with his clawed hand, hard, and while she was knelled. Nebilim then opened his hand and dug his metal claws into the ninja's skin, while hit her in the face with the hilt of his sword. With five holes in the belly, the female ninja went to the ground. The Grand Dark Lord then stomped her belly, preventing her from get up, causing even more pain and making she definitely lose all of her air. The twisted elf then pointed his sword to her throat and she couldn't do anything, but look at him with tears of hate and sorrow in her eyes.

"Hu, love... just another feeling that can easily be turned against you. I must admit you were quite a challenge, but you still don't pass a member of Vallor's weak blood lineage and this is your place: under my foot, under my control. And now, I'll teach you what happens when you don't stay on your place.", the chaos magician said, bringing his sword back and readying to stab Sheena's neck.

However, Nebilim never achieved to move his sword to do the killing blow, for in that moment, something flew to him at incredible speed and unleashed a series of quick stabs in his back, making his face twist in pain and part of his armor got dented. He couldn't move, due some strange energy being spread by all of his body each time he was hit. Then a final, powerful thrust sent the Dark Lord flying some meters away, but like always, he recovered and landed on his feet.

Turning to see who the one that dared to attack him was, Nebilim got surprised by first time in that fight. Lloyd was there, wings at show, the skin beneath the hole of his shirt where the demonic elf had stabbed was totally restored. He couldn't understand, he had killed him just some minutes ago. Looking to the weapons at the red clad angel's hands, the Dark Lord got even more surprised when he identified them as being the Eternal Sword and a great Divine Soul sword. That blade, he recognized that level of power, it was the same level of when Vallor united the sacred weapons to battle against him and seal him.

Sheena was with wide eyes as she looked to the one she gave as dead. Surprise was soon replaced by a happiness that she couldn't remember of feel equal. She wanted to get up and hug him, kiss him, just to make sure that wasn't an illusion, that he was there and had always been. The female ninja smiled and tried to get up, but the pain and the wounds Nebilim inflicted upon her didn't leave she do so.

By that time, Merilius also awoke and saw Lloyd, getting as surprised as his cousin. Then he noticed Sheena's state and went to the two, knelling near her and taking a look at her wounds. He tried to use a healing spell he knew, but it almost didn't have effect. While the light warrior cursed, the lover of his cousin was receiving a mental message of Origin. The King of the Summon Spirits said for Lloyd to place his complete Divine Soul at Sheena's body and get back.

The Eternal Swordsman did as he was told and instructed Merilius to also got back. The blade emitted a bright glow, engulfing Sheena's body. When the light went out, the female ninja was totally recovered. The friends of the trio were cheering happily from their positions and the Summon Spirits were smiling and letting out sighs of relief.

"How...?! Damn this weapon! You're one of the most persistent bugs I ever saw! What it takes for you to die?!", Nebilim shouted, seeming like was throwing a tantrum.

"At the moment, nothing. I won't simply laid myself and let you do whatever you want with my girl and my friends.", Lloyd said, pointing his Divine Soul sword at the Dark Lord. "Besides, if I died, Sheena would kick my spirit for leaving her.", the Eternal Sword looked to his love, who smiled at that remark.

"You was really anxious for me to lose my temper and attack you out of anger, wasn't you, Neran?", Sheena said, in a mocking tone and making Nebilim twitch when she called him by his name. "It's in this way you win your battles, making people to get so angry at you that they don't stop to think on a strategy and simply attack you."

Nebilim then recovered his pose and passed his hand on his hair, which surprisingly still perfectly divided into the long, thick strands that looked like snakes, probably another effect of the magic protections he put around himself. Putting his best smile, the ancient elf said:

"What can I do if people act like that when they let their emotions get the best on them? You quite surprised me with your reappearance Lloyd. What just did this weapon do?"

Origin then explained to all the heroes, his voice echoing through the Eternal Sword so even Lloyd and his two friends in the battlefield could hear:

"When you all concentrated in uniting the Divine Souls again, the weapons needed something which served as bridge to lead them to the ones you would point as the main ones. In this case, the bridge was the bounds you have with Lloyd; your feelings of friendship and love for him. This energized the crystals with sufficient power to heal even the most serious wounds, just like the one Nebilim inflicted upon him."

"Yeah. Probably you guys already know it, but feelings are powerful things when you know how to use their energies.", Gnome said, temporary taking the channel which his ruler was using to communicate with them, an act that the supreme spirit decided to ignore.

"Saved again by the bounds of friendship and love you share with them...", Merilius recited aloud, closing his eyes, like thinking in those words and then opening them again, now talking to the demonic warrior at their front. "It seems this just proves again how you are completely blind to how much people that carry the ones they held dear in their heart can be strong."

The Dark Lord gridded his teeth at being called of blind. Nobody called him like that if they wanted to live. He wasn't the blind one here, they were. He was trying to bring true peace and order to that eroding world, but they continued to stubbornly refuse to accept the truth.

"Am I?", the old enemy of the Summon Spirits spoke, charging another spell. Lloyd, Sheena and Merilius, though restored by the healing items they consumed in the middle of that talk and the power of the Divine Souls, were still tired, so he needed to defeat them now while he still have a chance. "Let's see who is truly right here! Dark Judgment!!!"


	62. For a Better World

Finally!!! What all of you were waiting for!!! The fiiiinnnnnaaaaaal round of the epic battle against Nebilim/Neran Bailium!!!Now only the epilogue is missing and I may update it quite soon.

I simply couldn't help myself and go writing this chapter for once (well, I'm sure nobody will complain about). Now, enjoy the show and let the swords clash and spells fly!!!

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**Chapter 62**

**For a Better World**

Dark beams fell and exploded, thunders cracked in the skies and soon the sound of swords clashing was heard. Lloyd swung the two legendary weapons with a speed that one would think didn't match to weapons of that size. Sheena and Merilius followed with the attack, not leaving Nebilim any opening to counter.

The Dark Lord gridded his teeth while the rain of slashes and thrusts tried to break his defense. He soon had his defense broken by a Beast Sword Rain from Lloyd. The ancient elf then was hit by combinations of Twin Tiger Blade, Cyclone Seal, Dual Spin, Exorcism Seal, Demonic Circle, Victory Light Spear and Power Thrust. At the end Nebilim was pushed through the ground again, just to stand quickly once more.

Shadow Ball spells flew, together with Shadow Lance and Nebilim ended by charging Chaos Meteor again. The flaming, green rocks fell from the skies at the direction of the three friends. Origin's voice sounded again:

"Lloyd, you can dissipate the magic energies that hold those meteors together by altering space around them, but it'll take a great amount of mana to do that."

Deciding he didn't have much of a choice in that matter, the Eternal Swordsman held his sword upright, mana building up around him. He then felt Merilius and Sheena putting one of their hands in each of his shoulders and adding their own mana to the incantation. Lloyd looked to his friends, who smiled to him, making him to copy the facial gesture.

The conjured, chaos projectiles were just meters away of them when the red clad angel ended to charge the spell. A purple aura involved he and his friends as he swung the Eternal Sword in the air, still holding it with just one hand, at the direction of the meteors. The air seemed to rush in a point at the front of the rocks and suddenly a flash came and they could hear the sound of something being disintegrated in the air. When they could see again, there were just green sparks floating around the air.

Lloyd then looked to Nebilim, who looked back, still gridding his teeth in anger. Noticing he still have some power accumulated in the Eternal Sword, the dual swordsman swung the massive blade at the Dark Lord, sending a wave of energy that altered the time and space around. The wave hit the twisted elf and the energies started to attack his very being. However, the Eternal Swordsman and his two companions noticed something wrong.

With a rush of the mana around him, Nebilim batted away the energies that tried to harm him. He looked back to the three heroes and smiled at their expressions. He then composed himself and prepared to attack again while he spoke:

"Why so surprised? Did you forget I have got enough knowledge to surpass the limitations of mortality? This body is a projection of my ancient one, but I still being a spirit, so time and space means nothing to me.", Nebilim then teleported to their back and quickly unleashed Blood Spin, blowing them out in different directions. "Now, to first destroy your heart.", the Dark Lord then ran at Sheena, ready to attack her in the moment she recovered and just had time to look him coming with a speed almost equal to hers. "Blade Stream!"

Thin lines of blood flew in the air as the beautiful ninja was violently pushed back by the rain of slashes. Lloyd shot to Nebilim and tried to cleave him with his two swords, but the Dark Lord teleported again and appeared near the Eternal Swordsman's love, lifting her by her throat, in a way she was with her back to him, and holding his sword near her collar. The red clad angel stopped at the same moment he saw his girlfriend in such life-threatening position.

Vallor and the others out of the battle field gasped. Knowing Nebilim, he would probably take this chance and end Sheena's life for all the trouble she caused to him. Worse than it was the fact that by doing so, the damned elf would surely crush Lloyd's heart and plant in him a burning desire to rip every peace of him apart, but that would make the young man careless and give to the founder of Ara'tharu the openings he needed.

"Say goodbye to her.", Nebilim spoke.

"I don't think so.", the sound came from Sheena, who, without the Dark Lord even had noticed, took two smoke bombs while she was on the ground, foreseeing that he might try something like that, and now threw them to the ground.

Nebilim tried to contain his surprise, but the distraction was enough for Sheena to slip away of his grip. Her neck got some scratches due the ancient evil one was holding her with his clawed hand, but she didn't mind. Calling for the elemental seal technique again, Sheena punched and kicked Nebilim with all the martial arts she could remember in that moment. When she tried to punch him in the face, however, he grabbed her knuckle and punched her face instead.

Quickly letting her knuckle go and grabbing her wrist instead, Nebilim pulled the female ninja to him and slashed her back, leaving a great scar. Before Lloyd could realize and recover from the shock of so many twists in that battle, the Dark Lord spun, still holding Sheena's wrist, and threw the grand summoner at the red clad angel, making the two of them get to the ground, one on top of the other. The Dark Lord then jumped high in the air, preparing to stab the two lovers at the same time.

"DIE!!!", the twisted elf yelled, aiming the couple in the ground, and assassin gleam in his eyes.

A blur of blue and white came to the front of the two lovers. Merilius then jumped in Nebilim's direction, his own blade ready to strike the Dark Lord and glowing with yellow energies. The ancient elf saw that and charged his blade with dark-purple energies. Shadow Blow and Light Strike crossed in the air and the group couldn't see who had hit who.

The two warriors then landed, crunched and opposite to each other. Lloyd and Sheena stood on their feet once they saw their half-elven friend attack the Grand Dark Lord in the air. After what seemed minutes, a white line appeared over Nebilim's chest and exploded in light mana, making the twisted elf to grunt in pain, at the same time another line appeared over Merilius' belly and also exploded in darkness mana.

Nebilim was the first to stand and walked away of his adversary, who had taken the attack harder, due his other wounds and tiredness from the fight. When Merilius was standing, the arch enemy of his family turned on his wheels and launched his sword at him, aiming his heart. Lloyd and Sheena called for the older Child of the Light, who seemed unable to defend the attack at that moment and could just look at the razor-sharp sword flying to him.

To everybody's surprise, Lloyd appeared out of thin air at Merilius' front and deflected Nebilim's sword with his own. The heroes, including the dual swordsman himself, blinked at surprise. Nebilim just grumbled as he called his sword back to his hand. Recovering his voice, Merilius asked:

"Did you just teleported?"

"Uh, I don't really know. When I saw that sword was about to kill you I just wanted to stop it, so it kinda came to me that I could appear over here using the Eternal Sword.", Lloyd tried to explain. That should be Origin's power helping him again.

"Let's save the explanations for latter, look out!", the older Child of the Light pointed to Lloyd's front.

Nebilim ran at high speed and attacked Lloyd with quick sword blows, which the Eternal Swordsman defended, now already adapted to the dark spirit's speed. Now the founder of Ara'Tharu was the one having difficulty to hit his adversary. Lloyd's swords were big enough to cover good part of his body and the fact both blades had their weights enchanted to be as light as a feather only helped the young men to answer to each one of the Dark Lord's attacks.

The ancient elf was no more wearing that manic grin he had before, now he was definitely angry and wanted to kill all of them as soon as possible. He tried to hit Lloyd with Sonic Sword Rain, but the Eternal Swordsman defended each one of the thrusts and when Nebilim tried to hit him with the stronger one in the final, Lloyd put his swords in a scissor fashion and locked Nebilim's on it. Before the Dark Lord could retrieve his blade, the red clad angel kicked him in the chest, distracting him for enough time to attack him:

"Time to test it! Slash Spin!", Lloyd threw Nebilim's blade to the side and started to spin at great speed, floating some inches from the ground, turning his blade into blurs of purple and white and slashing at his demonic adversary several times. When he ended the attack, Nebilim was still stunned by the energies of the Divine Soul, giving to the Eternal Swordsman another opening.

"Feral Strike!", the angel warrior rammed his elbow into the Dark Lord's gut with and unleashed a charge of leonine energy. He followed, by attacking the ancient evil one with an upward cut, which launched him to the air, a downward one quickly followed by another upward cut and ended with a strong downward slash that sent his ruthless adversary to the ground with great strength, causing a bash. Lloyd stayed in the air with the help of his wings, brought the Eternal Sword back and thrust it forward, diving and aiming the ancient elf. The Runeblade that could transcend time and space pierced Nebilim's armor like it was a dried leaf, until just a small portion of the blade could be seen.

The enemy of Ishtar family let out a scream of pain as the blade stabbed his body. None blood came from the wound, probably because, like he said earlier, Nebilim was still being a spirit, but the half-elven members in the group could see how the blow just affected the elf's mana and demonic aura.

"Wh... what just were those techniques?", Merilius asked to Sheena once she got to him. The female ninja smiled before answer.

"Lloyd and I trained those during our journey. They're pretty powerful, but he could just use them when he had his wings out. So we decided it would be better we save them to some special situation. Much like this one we're at."

"Ouch. That pained even in me.", Celsius commented and all the Summon Spirits agreed. Thought something that wouldn't kill them, it was a very unpleasant sensation to have your body being pierced by a blade.

Nebilim gridded his teeth again and charge mana and chaos energy in his body. Lloyd saw that and quickly flew away, avoiding the coming explosion. Just after that he noticed he had forgot to retrieve the Eternal Sword. The Grand Dark Lord reappeared some meters away of where he had been laying just some seconds ago, Origin's sword still embedded in his body, the point coming out of his back. He was panting as he looked to the hilt of the blade. The twisted then tried to touch the sword that transcended time and space, but when his fingers touched the hilt, it sent a powerful wave of energy on him, repelling his hand.

"Dammit!", Nebilim cursed, holding his hand, which was smoking from the powerful reaction. "Alright! I'll just have to fight with this little inconvenient!", without utter another word the Dark Lord moved his hand in an arch at his front, forming several dark spheres at the air in its passing. He then pointed to Lloyd and his two friends and the Shadow Balls shot to them.

Lloyd and Sheena achieved to avoid, but Merilius wasn't fast enough and one caught him in the leg. The two lovers then looked to Sheena's cousin, who wasn't even struggling against the darkness that were spreading through his body. The female ninja tried to go to him, but the dark-blue haired half-elf shook his head, saying:

"I can take care of this! Go and finish Nebilim!", when he ended to speak, his head was covered.

The two then looked to where the Grand Dark Lord of Ara'Tharu was, or rather, where he had been. Nebilim reappeared at great distance from them, but when the two heroes looked to him he teleported again to another point at their front. They then realized what was going on; Vallor's old enemy was teleporting at blinking speed, not staying in the same place for more than a split of second. In a way, it looked like they were surrounded by a bunch of clones of the demonic elf that kept appearing and disappearing.

Rays of light shot from the side of the couple. When they looked, Merilius had broke the shroud of darkness using mana of light. The damage, however, was already done; the light warrior's mana was in its final, so much that he had enough just for one last attack. Looking to his two companions he saw they were on the same situation. Lloyd's mana had practically depleted to almost none since he used Falcon Crest to destroy the Chaos Meteor and to try to attack Nebilim. The Eternal Swordsman was now running almost entirely by adrenaline, but it too was also giving place to a great tiredness. Sheena also used all her mana in all those elemental seals and had her injuries to take on account.

To make matters worse, they were out of healing items. But with that last blow, Nebilim probably was very vulnerable right now. It was now or never, they had to win that fight or die at the Dark Lord's hands. When their ruthless adversary appeared again he launched a Shadow Ball at them, forcing the three to disperse.

Nebilim then teleported to Lloyd and, before the young man could defend, slashed at his back. Sheena called for her love's name in the moment the Dark Lord teleported again and appeared at her side. The female ninja felt the rush of mana before the legendary enemy of her family appeared and tried to jump to the side. She partially avoided the thrust meant to her, but got scratched on her side. Merilius, already on alert when he saw the demonic elf first attack his cousin's boyfriend, turned to his side at the moment the founder of Ara'Tharu appeared and defended the sword blow.

Before the Child of the Light could counter, Nebilim disappeared again and returned to his chain of teleports around them, as the three heroes gathered again, watching their backs. How could they attack that damned Dark Lord if he didn't stay in the same place sufficient time for them to do so? The dark spirit appeared at the front of Lloyd and casted Shadow Lance. The Eternal Swordsman warned his friends to scatter.

Again Nebilim attacked the three fighters, but they achieved to defend at the nick of the time. The group outside the barrier was bitting their lower lips with all that suspense and tension. They also knew that battle had to end now and anxiousness was eating their souls, as they could only watch and sent positive thoughts to their friends inside the battlefield. Even the guardian entities of that world were praying to their lords to permit that those three heroes win such an important fight.

Sheena was again analyzing the situation, she had found herself exercising her logical and strategic thinking a lot these days (what some of her people claimed as being one of the characteristics of a good ninja). Nebilim was always attacking them with magic to separate them and then try to land a blow with his sword.

_Well, of course he'd be doing this. The chances of him winning us are higher if we're separated and can't cover each other's back._, Sheena thought, in a way she recognized as being Presea's one.

Nebilim was teleporting so fast that the female ninja imagined how he could just maintain his focus on them by having to teleport from one place to another at such high speed. For her it just proved one thing: he was desperate... and desperate people tends to commit mistakes. That thought lit a light on the grand summoner's brain. She then whispered to her friends at her back:

"Lloyd, Merilius, if Nebilim stops for enough time, can you hit him by throwing your swords?", the two men found that a rather strange, but nodded. What their beloved one was thinking on? "At my signal, throw your swords at my back with all the strength you have.", now the two looked surprised.

"Are you crazy? Do you just want for us to impale you?", Merilius asked, trying to maintain his voice low so the Dark Lord wouldn't listen to that some-of-strange-plan.

"Just trust me.", before Merilius and Lloyd could complain more, Sheena ran from her safe spot in the direction of the barrier of dark clouds. When she saw Nebilim disappearing near where she was, she shouted. "NOW!!!"

Finally seeing her plan, the two swordsmen aimed and threw their sacred blades at Sheena's back with all their strength, making the two swords to turn into blurs of white and yellow. As they predicted, Nebilim appeared at the younger Child of the Light's front, holding his sword with his two hands, ready to decapitate her.

The next actions happened in a matter of seconds, but for everybody watching the fight it looked like hours of watching a slow camera action. Nebilim swung his blade at the female ninja, who laid and slided in the wet ground, passing trough the middle of the Dark Lord's open legs. At the moment she passed, Sheena took her dagger and threw it with all her strength at Nebilim's back, hitting him before he could teleport away. The Grand Dark Lord felt it like it was just a sting, but the power of the small inheritance prevented him from using his powers in that second, which was enough for two blurs to come and impale him.

After receive that blow on his back, the Dark Lord had turned his attention to his front again and saw the two blades flying to his direction. He tried desperately to teleport, but the blade's power blocked his and he couldn't move, again froze by the power of those copies of the Divine Souls. Then he felt it; the two great blades piercing his armor and flesh, right above where the Eternal Sword still embedded, their points opening new holes at his back. The other heroes' and spirits' jaws fell.

Nebilim staggered at his place. Then the Divine Soul glowed white and shot a ray of light from its hilt and point. The Eternal Sword also started to glow with a pure, white aura and also shot a ray of light from its hilt and point, as did the two other weapons embedded in the ruthless man's body; they were activated by the power of the ancient, sacred weapon and now were in resonance with it. The Dark Lord felt a pain like he never felt before, it was like his whole soul was on fire... like his _heart_ was burning. More rays of light shot from different places of his body. The lights got so intense that soon only Nebilim's screams of anger and pain were heard.

Then all the lights coming from Nebilim seemed to explode in thousands of glass-like fragments, which dissipated into several tiny points. When the lights faded, the barrier of dark clouds disappeared and the rain stopped. The ancient Dark Lord still stand, his face looking to the skies, so the heroes couldn't see his face. Then he fell to his knees and lowered his head, the strands of his hair now covering his face. The group catch their breathes for what seemed long minutes, looking to the elf, who was immobile in his place, like he had turned into a statue.

The skies started to clean, finally letting the rays of the sun shine over the land again. It was sunset and the orange and yellow of twilight bathed that region. Just then the group realized how much time that fight had taken.

Nebilim then raised his head, eyes looking into the three warriors, who got startled to see their enemy still alive even after being impaled by four special blades. Slowly getting up, the Dark Lord spoke, in a tired, but still venous voice:

"Don't think... I'm done yet.", the ancient evil one stretched his left hand, charging another Shadow Ball on it.

Genis, Colette and the others tried to rush to their friends, but Origin's and Maxwell's hands blocked their path. When they looked to the two high spirits, they shot a look for them that said "just see and watch". Vallor appeared at the front of the three fighters, who had their faces marked by fear, due they didn't have any weapon, since they were all embedded in Nebilim's body. The hero spirit transmitted a feeling of calmness to them, like he was saying that they didn't need to worry.

Nebilim was grinning again, but suddenly his face twisted in what seemed to be pain and surprise, the spell in his hand sparkled a little and disappeared. The Dark Lord brought his hand to the front of his eyes, like he didn't understand what had just happened. He then tried to cast another spell, but the little darkness mana that he reunited in the palm of his hand soon dissipated.

_Wha... what's happening?!_, Nebilim thought. An expression that the group never saw before was now stamped in the ancient elf's face: fear. He tried again to shot a Shadow Ball with his two hands, but he couldn't even feel the mana around him anymore. _My... my powers! I can't feel my powers anymore!_

"It's over.", a firm voice said from behind the Grand Dark Lord. Nebilim turned his head to look at Luna's serious face. "Thy powers were destroyed."

A soft, purple glow appeared in the illuminated entity's back. The rest of the heroes who were with the Summon Spirits saw it was Luna's scar. The mark then dissipated in several points of purple light. She was cured. Nebilim growled and turned to the weaponless heroes at his front.

"I don't need my powers to kill... UGH!!!", when the twisted elf tried to move he felt an excruciating pain in his front, so much that it even made him cough and brought his hand to his belly. He noticed it got wet with something and when he brought it to his front his eyes widened. "Wh... what?!"

The Dark Lord's hands were covered in blood, his blood. Looking to himself he noticed what he had cough was blood and great streaks of the vital liquid were flowing from where the swords had stabbed him. The sacred weapons, however, were repelling the madded elf's blood with their magic, like they were decided to not get infected with the blood of someone like that power-thirsty, psychotic spirit.

"Like your powers were destroyed...", Vallor's voice came, explaining the situation. "Your body reverted back to its mortal state. You're dying Nebilim... and this time I'm not able to save your life by sealing you, even if I wanted to.", Nebilim looked back to himself, his face twisted in what seemed disgust. Disgust by being mortal again, something that he always linked as being a human characteristic.

Lloyd, Sheena and Merilius relaxed after heard the hero of the Forgotten Ages. They then started to walk back to their friends. If Nebilim was dying, then that means the battle had ended and they had won. The three passed by the Dark Lord without pay any attention to him. The venous tone of the ancient evil one reached their ears when they were near their friends:

"So, are you happy now?", Nebilim struggled to turn to them. His face was again twisted by hatred and anger. "I hope that you are, because you just made sure that the cycle of battles continues. I offered you a chance to end this infernal cycle, but you refused and now made sure that this world got destroyed by it!

"Can't you see?! Everything I did was offer to you a way to make a better world! A world where true peace and order exist!"

"And who do you think you are to talk about peace and order?", Yuan asked, coming to his three friend's side. Nebilim shot a look full of venom to him, but the former Seraphim didn't let himself to get intimidated. "In your search for a way to reach your 'peace', you forgot everything the elves taught you about respect for life and how the structure of the things is. You forgot an essential rule: everything needs an opposite to exist."

The Summon Spirits and the heroes nodded at Yuan's remark, but Nebilim let out an "humpf" sound. Lloyd then turned to the ancient evil one and started to speak:

"How would you know what is peace if there wasn't fights? How would you know what is order if you never know what chaos is? Even your 'offers' wouldn't be able to eliminate the opposites, because they are needed. Of course peace may not least forever, but when people see how peace is good, they will want it back, so even if we die, our ideals will live. That alone proves that we reached our objectives, but you were never satisfied with it because what you wanted was never peace and order. I doubt you even know what these two words really mean."

"He's right.", Regal said. "Your true intentions were never to bring peace and order to this world. You just wanted to control people and bound them to your will. That is what you consider order, to have everything bowing to your desires. A prove of that is that is that you didn't respect your own people and also worked to maintain them under your grip."

"The elves once taught you about the preciousness of life. Why did you choose to forget such important lesson?", Martel asked, also coming to the side of the three fighters that defeated Nebilim. Everybody had turned to look at the defeated Dark Lord, save by Sheena. "You can't treat life as it's your possession or like you have right over other being's lives. The elves, thought discriminate other races by thinking they were superior, never had any intentions to actually hurt them. Why did you abandon this believing?"

Nebilim lowered his head and smiled the same manic smile of when he was battling against them. His vertical pupils turned into slits as he spoke his next sentences:

"'Preciousness of life', 'respect for living beings'... just excuses to cover the elves' cowardice and inability to make what was necessary to bring peace. Why should we value the life of someone that lives just to bring disgrace and misfortune to all those around him? Why should we forgive someone that lives just to stay in the way of true justice and prosperity?", Sheena closed her fist at hearing that and clutched it tighter as her family's enemy spoke. "Some lives exist just to oppose to others, to be an obstacle... and like any other obstacle, they just serve to be overcame and then eliminated! So, why should respect someone who just caused trouble and havoc his entire life?!"

The younger Child of Light's knuckles were already turning white from the strong pressure she was applying to them. When she heard Nebilim's last statement, she couldn't hold it anymore. Sheena turned and ran to the Dark Lord at blinking speed, grabbing the Eternal Sword and the Divine Soul sword embedded in him and pushing the two massive swords further in him, making the ancient evil one to cough more blood and gasp in pain.

The others went mute at the sudden act, they hadn't companied Sheena with their eyes and when they saw she was already clutching the two swords and containing Nebilim with the blades. It seemed she was threatening to cut the psychotic elf's body in two with the blades. She actually could do this, it was just the case she yank the swords inside him and move them to the sides. The grand summoner then spoke, her tone was one of controlled anger:

"Never... speak ill... of life. You don't know half of what the people you just spoke of do to make up for their mistakes!", she inclined the two swords inside Nebilim, making some more blood fall in the ground, which already had a puddle of the ancient elf's blood. "Everybody has the right to live and it's not you who's going to decide who should or not live."

Nebilim struggled to look to Vallor's descendant. Hatred and venom were gleaming in his eyes, like he was to kill her just by looking at the Child of the Light. He then mumbled more words, like a final testament of his eternal belief in what he had just said:

"Force... me... to... do you think... you have any right... to even speak... about values and rights...?!"

"More than you. That I am have sure of.", Sheena said, coldly, but with a strong resolve in her tone. "Just look to who defeated you. I was one of these people you speak of, who brought trouble and misfortune to their people, and even so I won you. So, recognize you're wrong."

Nebilim was now breathing heavy. He could feel life snuffling out of his body as the time passed. The truth finally struck him: he will die... die like any wretched human would one day... but he wasn't going to let them think they won him. No. He would never surrender to the ones like these blind, foolish "heroes". He was the Grand Dark Lord and founder of Ara'Tharu and even death couldn't claim this from him!

"Never...!", Nebilim said, reuniting the last strengths he could to shoot one last look, full of hate and venom at the ninja at his front.

Sheena just sighed at that, like the reaction didn't surprise her. Now she knew what the expression "stubborn to death" meant. He didn't and would never learn. Vallor and Merilius were right; if being locked away inside once sacred weapons and having his soul divided, staying in an almost death state, many millenniums ago didn't change that bastard's mind, then not even death could do it.

The female ninja then let the weapons go and shot one last strong and cold look at the legendary Dark Lord, a look that didn't bore hatred or despite, but pity. Pity on that dark soul that refused to open hand of his power and opinions even when they proved wrong. She doubted he even had a heart by now, probably he traded it for more power or let it be consumed by the soul of the Demon Lord that existed inside him.

"Then go to where your damn soul belongs and never return to this world... if you do... I, my friends and our descendants will be waiting for you...", she then turned her back to him and went to her friends.

Nebilim's vision started to get blurred. He could just see the heroes' outlines and the strong colors of the twilight skies. Then everything went blank and he saw a new figure at his front; one with two pairs of wings and a strong, muscular body. He couldn't see its face or anything more than his outlines. The figure then stretched its hand and opened it, showing something shiny in its palm.

"But... I went... further... then any other...", these were the last words Nebilim uttered before the strange figure clutch the thing it had in its hand. The Dark Lord felt a painful tug and then nothing more.

Nebilim's eyes went blank and he closed them, before fell backwards. The world got slow as the body of the once powerful enemy of all life fell. Then he hit the ground, sending dust and a wave of wind in its surround, arms spread at the sides of his body. The Grand Dark Lord finally fell, to never get up again.

Lloyd and others stayed looking to the fallen body of the ruthless elf, like they waited for him to come back to life and start to battle with them. However, they knew this wouldn't happen. Nebilim has gone. This time for good. They couldn't help, but lower their heads to the corpse of the once terrible adversary.

Vallor and Origin went to Nebilim's body and called their weapons back. Merilius' Runeblade and Sheena's dagger appeared in the ancient hero's hands and the Eternal Sword and the Divine Soul (now back to its crystal form) came to the supreme spirit's upper arms. The King of the Summon Spirits then returned to the heroes and gave back to Lloyd the Eternal Sword. Luna's lover shot a final look to the Dark Lord's body and mumbled:

"Goodbye... my old opponent...", Vallor then turned his to see Luna at his side, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"His body will be buried in the depths of the Dark Abyss, where not even the elemental shadows dare to go. This way, the secrets in it will never come back to haunt this world.", the guardian entity of the light said. She then looked into Vallor's eyes with a lovely soft gleam. "Don't thee think we should now concentrate on the future?"

Vallor took Luna's hand as she passed it trough his cheek and closed his eyes. She was right. It was time for them to stop thinking in it. The past was now definitely dead and world had a new generation of heroes to take care of it.

"Yes... you're right.", the illuminated spirit said, letting a small single tear fell. He then opened his eyes and looked to his ancient love with a gleam of comfort and love and a smile in his lips."C'mon, let's give to our children their weapons back before they start to complain..."

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YAY!!! It's over! *everybody starts party* Well, technically it stills missing the epilogue. *everybody's mood goes down* But anyway, the main body of the story is over for sure! *everybody party again*

So, again I thank everybody that stand my work until now. I hope you have liked my first fanfiction in english (I must say, this wasn't so easy, though I have experience in writing stories in my language. aka: portuguese.).

See ya in the last chapter!


	63. Where Life Takes us

The final chapter and with it the end of the fic.

Now people, I want to know your final opinions about my story, what parts you hated or liked, what OCs you liked/hated the most and (for last, but not last important) what you found about my version to Nebilim (or Neran Bailium, the name you find the most suitable, or nickname). Particularly, if have his body impaled by a blade the size of the Eternal Sword, continue to fight with it just to get impaled by three more blades and still live enought to spat more baubble about his twisted ideals don't prove he is a badass, ruthless, powerful villian, then I don't know what can prove it.

Anyway, enjoy the final!

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**Chapter 63**

**Where Life Takes us**

People were returning to the ruined Imperial City and the reconstruction had already began. This time, even the elves were helping the humans, since they heard words that it was one of their kind was the responsible for everything that happened. Half-elves were also helping in the reconstruction, since some of them had moved to the city.

Some elves and their half-blooded counterparts didn't look at each other or even exchanged words, they just did their work and nothing more. However, the atmosphere around these two different races was a neutral one, like they didn't wish the other's harm, but didn't wish good either. Some other elves and half-elves, however, smiled and talked to each other, almost dividing the scenery into two different realities.

In the midst of all the work where Zelos, the King of Tethe'alla and the leader of Heimdall. The red headed Chosen One was ending to explain to the two authorities everything that happened, from Kermish to the final battle at the Mana Tree's plains. The two rulers stayed quite during all the recounting. When the swordsman angel ended, the elf elder was the first to talk:

"It seems that this entire situation is in part our fault. If our antecedents haven't been so reckless and proud, we could be better prepared for all this disaster and maybe even stopped it from happening."

"Nah, I doubt it.", Zelos said. "That Nebilim guy was simply too smart to let anybody stop him. I can guarantee, even if you knew, it wouldn't have stopped all of this from happen."

"I see.", the King of Tethe'alla spoke. "And you said this one called Merilius helped you in the fight and is a member of the only family of half-elves in this world that still remembering about this Nebilim. It seems then we also own our lives and the lives of our ancestors to him and his family, since they guarded these weapons where this evil elf was sealed and didn't let him to regain his power in worse times."

Zelos nodded at the King's remark. Merilius was as much of a hero in all of that as they were. Indeed, his family also worked hard for something like this to not happen before, in ages where the world was more fragile, like in the Kharlan War.

"I'll make sure the tales of his family and their deeds during the Forgotten Ages got to be known. The entire elven race owns them this much.", the elven elder talked.

"I think Merilius would like that, but I think he would like more if you got acknowledge that Vallor was a half-elven citizen of Heimdall and that he was a true hero for the elves.", Zelos said, with smile.

"You have my word I'll make this to acknowledge. I'm sure even the most conservatives elven families will have to bow to this after everything that happened."

"And I'll make sure the records of the recent happenings presents him and his family's name and to check for their name in the other true, historical records. You have my promise.", the ruler of Tethe'alla said.

- - - - -

Collete arrived at the plaza of Iselia, where her family and some other villagers were waiting. Most of them stayed there since they saw the red lights and thick clouds covering the skies. Even when started to rain they didn't leave their spots, praying for the situation to get better. Now they were relieved and happy to see their most respected citizen returning.

"Hi everybody, I'm back!", the blond angel greeted her relatives and friends.

"Colette! Thank the spirits you're alright. When we saw that horrible lights in the skies we feared something very grave should have happened.", Phaidra said, approaching to her granddaughter, with Frank by her side.

"Well, yeah, something bad happened, but we've got to stop it before the things got worse. Thanks to Lloyd, Sheena and Merilius the world was saved again.", Colette said, with a smile.

Some villagers around sighed and murmured thanks to all the heroes. Frank then noticed Yuan at his daughter's side and asked if he was another of her new friends. The Renegade leader presented himself:

"I'm Yuan. I came to accompany Colette to the village and also because I wanted to discuss something with you regarding her."

"And what could it be?", Frank asked, with curiosity.

"We could say it's about her future career. Now, could we get to some other place to discuss it in particular?", the blue haired half-elf asked.

Phaidra invited Yuan to talk at their house and made motion for him to follow her. The former Seraphim nodded and followed the elder, as Colette came behind, talking with her father. The blond angel then approached her "new father" and gave to him another of her warm smiles, like saying everything would go well.

The ancient angel couldn't help, but also smile to his "daughter" in return. He was still some of worried how Colette's family would react when she told about his fatherly feelings for her and what they would think once she said she wanted to work with him in the Renegades.

"Do you think they will accept this?", Yuan asked, whispering in angelic, so just Colette could hear him.

"I'm sure they will. If I tell them how I feel about it and you, I'm sure they will approve. After all, I'll just help my new father and many other half-elves to make this world a better place.", the gentle girl said.

"If you think so, then lead the way... my daughter."

- - - - -

George almost couldn't believe when the blue haired figure came out of the elevator, wearing his suit, like he was just coming to another day of work. He had feared the worst when the skies shined red and some strange red balls started to rain in Meltokio's direction. Thankfully, none of his fears had proved true and for that he couldn't thank the spirits enough.

Getting up from Regal's chair, the vice-president asked for a nearby worker to bring some coffee and offered some to his boss. Regal said he wanted nothing, just the reports of the last sales and investments made. With a smile, George went to get all the papers in a nearby table. Handing the reports to his superior, he asked how his journey had been:

"All much the same: fix troubles caused by powerful overlords, fight the strangest enemies you can imagine and witness apocalyptic events. All in all, it was good.", the two businessman laughed at that sentence.

"It's good to have you back master Regal. Lezareno would never be the same without you.", George said.

"Thanks George. Why don't you take some vocations? I'm sure make all my work have been stressing enough and don't say 'no' to me. That's an order."

The coffee arrived after Regal's last sentences. With an "if you are sure...", George dismissed himself and went to the elevator. The doors were almost opening when the aged vice-president remembered something. Turning to the president of Lezareno, he asked:

"What should we do about the 'Kermish's Case'? We achieved to prevent the information from spreading, but this might create an awkward situation when we have to present the taxes."

Regal thought for some time before answer that. If any information didn't come to public, then the consequences of that event would be minimum, but it remained the fact that he supplied a dangerous criminal. Coming up with a solution, the blue haired man smiled and said:

"I'll have to contact some friends of mine and, if this doesn't work, I'll just have to reclaim a favor his Majesty owns to me. Sometimes be a hero have its perks..."

- - - - -

The door to the room of the archeology committee of the Imperial Research Academy opened and a silver haired woman entered. The two professors at the room went to her and greeted their best runes translator. As Raine returned the compliments the head professor spoke:

"It's good to see you again Rain. We were talking about organize a research group to go to the ruins of that floating city and..."

"Sorry, but the King said that none kind of activity, be it research or exploration, must be done around the crash area of the fortress. It's necessary an expert analyze the local first to see if any of the traps or cursed artifacts still there.", Raine said, interrupting her superior.

"Really? And what do you think about it?", the other professor spoke. They knew that the half-elven teacher's curiosity sometimes lead her to cross some limits of the excavation areas they visited. It wasn't technically considered illegal or anything, but the protocols were very touchy about those type of things.

"Some things are better left undiscovered, for they will bring no good for the society.", Raine recited.

The two professors in charge of the committee looked absolutely stunned by the female researcher's comment. That phrase she just said appeared sometimes in the books, but good part of people ignored it. What could have happened during her journey for her to change her philosophy of "everything that belongs to a distant past deserves to be studied".

"Well, that seems to be a real change. If your Majesty said we shouldn't go, then we don't have other option, but respect and follow his decision.", the elder professor said. When his other younger companion went to a group of students that was near a computer, checking data, he whispered to Raine. "To be honest, I really didn't want to go anywhere near that fortress, not after what it almost did to Meltokio. That place just gives me creeps."

"Then we are two.", Raine said, with a slight smile.

- - - - -

Sunset was painting the skies as a pink haired girl left a bundle of flowers in a grave, near her destroyed village. It seemed an eternity since the last time she visited the grave of her father, but fortunately Ralph, her father's old friend, keep coming from times to times and left new flowers at the grave.

Presea didn't come to her old house because, in part, she didn't want to get near the village, which brings so many memories of her time as a walking Cruxis Crystal experiment. Now, however, she was in peace with her old memories and could come to the ruined village without feel that painful sting in her chest.

"Father...", she spoke after stand and look at the grave. "You once gave me an advice through Ralph... you said for me to not give myself to my darkness... at the time I didn't really understand that. I thought something like that would never happen, because I didn't have anything inside me, but now I understand. That void inside me, those thoughts and doubts about my humanity, they were my darkness.

"I gave myself to them, but I fought back and was saved by my friends and now I understand that I'm like any other people and I still have darkness and light inside me. I'll always fight to not let my darkness control me again and I'll work for the same don't happen with my friends."

After that last statement, Presea bowed and turned from the grave to her silver haired friend, who had been watching her from the entrance to her old house. She then joined Genis, who said her father would be proud of her. The pink haired girl smiled at that, making the young half-elf to blush. She let out a laugh at that, her friend was really funny when he got all embarrassed like that.

"So, you're going back to Sybak?", Presea asked, still smiling at him.

"Y-yeah. I still have some years of study to go.", the young genius said. "After that I plan to open my own office. H-how about you?"

"I don't really know, but I haven't intention of be a lumberjack for all my life. Maybe I could be a knight, like dad was. I tested to wield my ax without my exphere and it seems part of my strength still the same with the exphere, probably a side effect of when the crystal was developing in my body."

Genis got surprised at that. He heard that women were conquering many work fields that previously were composed only by men, but he never heard about a woman guard (except maybe be the Desians, but they were another story). Well, Presea was strong and smart enough. Maybe her fame of heroine would also help to prove she was capable of protect people in any situation.

The pink haired girl saw the look of surprise in Genis' face, a look he always wore when she showed how strong she was or how uncommon she could be compared to other girls of her "supposed age". The strong girl then asked if Genis had anything against she became a knight. The young warlock shook his head, saying he was just surprised by her choice of job and added:

"I think you would do a great knight and, if you want, I can help you."

"Thanks Genis.", the young adult said with another smile, making her close friend to blush wildly again.

- - - - -

Another day had come and the group of heroes met in the plains of the Mana Tree. Vallor would go back to the Golden Lands and, aside Origin's monolith, the area around the mana hold a strong connection to the spiritual world, due the high amount of pure mana around. Merilius also said he would communicate an important decision he made regards what he would do from now on.

When all the members of the party arrived the atmosphere turned into one of farewell. Vallor was the first to speak, his necklace around his own neck, Luna and Origin at his sides:

"Well, this is it. It was good to come back and see how this world has improved since my time, but I do not belong here anymore, I have to come back to my own world.", he then turned to his descendants. "Merilius, Sheena... I couldn't be prouder of you. Thanks to you, Nebilim can't harm this world and its beings anymore. You two honor the name of our family."

A tear fell at the side of Merilius' cheek and he tried to quickly wipe that, but it already had been noticed by everybody present. When Zelos asked if the light warrior was really crying, he tried to hide it, saying something had flown into his eye. The group giggled and smiled at that.

Sheena also couldn't contain her happiness. She had finally discovered who her biological family after all this time was and who her ancestors were. She couldn't wait to tell to Igagury and Tiga about everything she had seen and learn for all these days. A great smile was on her face as she looked to Lloyd, who was at her side.

_Encounter my family was great, but find about my love for him was even better._, the female ninja thought, as Lloyd looked back to her and gave a smile of his own.

"I hope I can see you all someday again. But if that doesn't happen, then knows that I'll be there to help Origin to guide your souls to the Golden Lands when your time comes.", Vallor said.

The King of the Summon Spirits then pointed his hand at the direction of the Mana Tree. A portal appeared some meters away of the world's source of mana. The supreme spirit then turned to his ancient friend, saying it was time for him to go.

Vallor received hugs and shook the hands of the members of the party, who gave goodbyes to the ancient hero. The true angel then walked to the portal with Luna and Origin. Before enter, the hero of the Forgotten Ages turned to the guardian entity of the light. The two then hugged and kissed each other. When they parted their lips, the lover of the light said:

"Maintain contact. I'll visit you whenever I can."

"I'll be waiting for thee.", Luna replied, with a smile. Vallor looked to the heroes and waved his hand to them.

After the spirit hero entered the portal, Origin closed it. The two summon spirits turned to the heroes and gave their own farewells to them, before fade away. Merilius then sighed and looked to his new friends, saying it was time for him to also take his leave. Genis asked what he was going to do now.

"Nebilim may be finally dead, but that doesn't mean all his evil has been purged from this world. As you all know, he reunited a great number of foul and cursed artifacts during his time as an archaeologist and in his explorations and researches with Ara'Tharu. Many of these relics were so powerful and dangerous that they couldn't be maintained in the fortress, so Nebilim built secrets vaults around the entire world to store his discoveries.

"I'll search for these vaults and destroy all the last remains of Nebilim's taint. I already paid a visit, yesterday, to the ruins of the fortress and destroyed the original Necronomicon and some of the relics that were there."

"That's good to hear.", Raine said, making everybody around jump and look to her in surprise. This was the last thing they expected to hear from her in this kind of subject. The mature woman looked to them and sighed. "Can you stop staring at me like this? I already learned that some things are better to be left unknown."

"Hey, good to see you finally took control over that addiction of archeology you had, sis!", Genis said. However, Raine understood that as an insult to her great curiosity and smacked her little brother at the back of his head.

The group snickered while Genis mumbled something about violent, crazy, older sisters, what unfortunately was caught by his said, curious sister and earned him another smack. Zelos then commented it was better the young warlock stop while his head still in the place.

Merilius also snickered a little while shook his head. They may be some of strange sometimes, but they were good people and they were his friends. Colette asked to him what he would do when this new journey ended. The dark-blue haired half-elf looked to her, before answer:

"I'll move near to my sister's city.", he then looked to Sheena and Lloyd. "Someone has to keep the tabs to make sure they won't get into another trouble."

"Hey! It's not like we seek trouble or anything! Half of the time it's trouble that come to us.", Lloyd objected.

"Then it's better someone stay around to make sure you two get out of it.", Merilius commented.

More laughs, Lloyd grumbling and Sheena blushing in embarrassment. When all went quite again, Merilius started to give his farewells to the group. When was the turn of the grand summoner, the older Child of the Light hugged her, saying he would visit her whenever he found time to do so. His cousin hugged him back, saying she and her boyfriend would be happy to receive him.

With more waves of hands and farewells, Merilius started to move away of his friends, until Yuan's voice stopped him and made him to turn. The former Seraphim had remembered about something they didn't discuss since the end of their fight against Nebilim:

"What about the Divine Souls? They still with us. Don't you want them back?"

The light warrior thought a little before answer:

"Originally the Summon Spirits were the ones that presented them to the heroes that would wield them. If Origin didn't ask them back, I suppose it's for you to stay with them. Just make sure to use them properly, they are sacred weapons after all."

The group nodded while Merilius turned and walked away again. After reach some distance between him and his friends, the descendant of the ancient heroes teleported, disappearing of sigh. Lloyd then turned to his love and asked her:

"Do you think he'll find all those vaults?"

"I'm sure he will. Remember that when we got something in the head we're stubborn enough to go until the end. It runs in the family.", the female ninja said, also meaning her friends, who nodded at that statement.

The group looked back to where the Child of the Light had left. The sunset skies had golden colors mixed with orange this day, signalizing the coming of a peaceful night...

_End_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Before I gave my final note, I would like to remember you all of a question I made some chapters before. For the ones that didn't answer or forgot it, there it is:

Like you have just saw, the history of Nebilim and Vallor is a very deep (and long) one, so I want to ask to you this: Would you want for me to make a fic telling about all the happenings of the Forgotten Ages?

I wait for your answers.

That's all folks! Until my next fic! *receive some looks* ... Why are you all staring at me like this?


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